Recovery
by koger109
Summary: Jasper's sister, Bella, moves to Forks after a tragedy sends her to live with her brother and dad. Emmett is falling for her, but she can't handle love right now, and he knows that. Will she let him help her, though? AH. Graphic hurt, language, lemons.
1. The New Girl

**Chapter 1: The New Girl**

**A/N: All human. Emmett, Bella, Rose, Alice, Jasper, and Edward are all juniors at Forks High, although Jasper is supposed to be a senior, but failed a year in middle school. Emmett and Rose are siblings with the last name Hale. Jasper and Bella have the last name Swan. Alice's last name is Brandon, and Edward's is Masen. Rose/Edward later on, but for now, they are just friends. Alice and Jasper are dating. First chapter is after Christmas break. Yes, I know…another new story. Oh, well. Please review.**

_**Emmett's POV**_

I pulled up into the Forks High School parking lot and got out of my Jeep. I walked over to my circle of friends near my sister Rosalie's BMW convertible.

"Hey, guys," I said, as I approached my best friends, with the exception of Jasper. He was helping his sister around today, although no one knew why she was even here. None of us had even met her before.

"Hey, Em. Are you excited to be back?" Alice asked.

I shrugged. "Oh, yeah. School is the bomb. Did you know we are actually supposed to be learning shit here?"

Everyone laughed at my sarcastic remark, except for Alice, who just rolled her eyes.

We talked for a bit more, then parted our separate ways. I had English first period, and I was happy I got the schedule I wanted. I may seem like a dumb jock sometimes, but I'm actually pretty smart, if I do say so myself.

I took a seat near the front of the classroom - one of the few left, since I was barely on time. Another girl walked in just as the bell rang, and I couldn't help but notice her.

She was wearing a black and gray checkered hoodie with the hood up and earphones in. It was so loud that when she walked past me, I caught two words.

_Rescue me._

It sure looked as though she were depressed, like she was trying to block everyone out, and she sat in the very back corner alone.

I felt bad for her and wondered what her problem was.

I made it through English, and luckily, he did not give us a homework assignment on the first day back. I may be smart, but I do not, however, cherish the thought of doing homework whatsoever.

I made it through second period Biology, and the mystery girl was cast as my lab partner. No one else would take her, so I volunteered.

She just sat down and turned her iPod up louder.

The same song was playing, I think. I could hear the lyrics from here, and I listened to the whole song, tuning everything else out.

_Just breathe_

_The midnight air will do you well_

_Believe _

_I miss your taste, I miss your smell_

_Your past mistakes have brought you here_

_I'll break the fall for you, my dear_

_I'll ask the nurse for bandages_

_Send me on my way_

_Rescue me_

_From everything_

_I just wanna live_

_I wish I could breathe_

_Every other day, I sit and wait_

_For the same bad news_

_Can you hear me say_

_I've got nothing left to lose?_

_Can someone please start making sense _

_Or beg the lord for accidents?_

_I've seen the worst case scenario_

_I'm slowly letting go_

_Rescue me_

_From everything_

_I just wanna live_

_I wish I could breathe _

_Rescue me_

_From everything_

_I just wanna live_

_I wish I could breathe_

……………

_Rescue me_

_From everything_

_I just wanna live_

_I wish I could breathe_

_Rescue me_

_From everything_

_I just wanna live_

_I wish I could breathe_

_Rescue me_

_From everything_

_I just wanna live_

_I wish I could breathe_

_Rescue me_

_From everything_

_I just wanna live_

_I wish I could breathe_

The chorus repeated to the end, and I was just sitting there, wondering what went wrong in her life.

I looked over at her and realized that a tear slipped down her cheek.

I automatically memorized her face's features.

She had a small nose, beautiful green eyes, and her bottom lip was slightly fuller than her top in a cute, adorable way.

She was pretty, and she didn't even try. She just wore a large hoodie, which looked like she borrowed it from an older brother, and jeans with black converse. Her hair was wavy beneath her hood, which she seemed reluctant to take down. She wasn't as tall as Rose, but not as short as Alice, and she was slim.

I handed her a tissue from the box beside me, but she looked at it and looked away, wiping her face with her sleeve.

"Hi. I'm Emmett Hale. What's your name?" I asked, in a quiet voice.

The bell rang, and before she left, she muttered to herself while walking away, "None of your damn business."

My third period was Algebra 2, and the sad girl from my previous classes was not in here.

It went by very quickly, and it was lunch before I knew it.

I grabbed some food and sat down between Edward and Rosalie at lunch - my usual spot. Jasper and Alice sat across from us, but they were still in line.

The girl walked in, and I unintentionally watched her while she retrieved her lunch and sat alone two tables away. "Who is that?"

"I don't know, but she looks all depressed," Edward answered. "She was listening to sad music all last period. I sat behind her, and I was wondering what went wrong."

"She's one of those people that I wish I could help, you know? It makes me hurt just watching her pain. You can see it in her eyes," Rosalie said.

A lot of people think my sister is a bitch, but they don't take the time to get to know her. She's one of the kindest and most caring people I know.

Jasper and Alice sat down then, and Jasper looked like he was upset.

"Jasper, what's wrong?" Rose asked, placing a hand over his.

They had grown so close that it would seem like they were related and not she and I.

"My sister…She came up from Arizona. Do any of you know why, yet?"

We all shook our heads, and Alice rubbed his arm up and down, whispering, "It's okay, Jazz. We're practically family."

He smiled slightly, but it quickly faded. "Something happened to her. It ruined her. She won't let anyone talk to her." He drew in a sharp breath. "This never leaves the table, okay?" We all nodded. "Her boyfriend…he raped and beat her last summer. She almost died. She had a broken leg, a fractured arm, and a few broken ribs. She somehow lived after someone walking through the woods found her on the ground. That's why I left last summer. Then…" His breaths were shakier, now. "Our mom and step dad were killed over break. They were on their way to dinner, and an eighteen wheeler crashed. It took out seven or eight cars, and they had to be in one of them." He began crying. "Alice, please stay here. I'm going to sit with Bella."

She nodded, and he got up, taking his tray to sit with that lonely girl.

Wait…what?!

That was his sister?

Wow. They look a lot different. Aside from the green eyes and wavy hair, they were nothing alike.

He said something to her, and I could tell that her smile was forced.

I felt so bad for Jasper and his sister. I couldn't even eat.

"Why didn't he tell us sooner?" I whispered.

"I don't think he wanted sympathy. That's the type of guy my Jazzy is," Alice sighed.

The bell rang ending lunch, and I saw Jasper and Bella hug each other and walk to class together. Alice was pouting a little, due to the fact that she was now being put second.

I put an arm around one of my best friend's shoulders and grinned. "Aww, Alice, you'll always be number one to me."

She chuckled, then replied, "Yes! That was totally on my top things to accomplish before I die."

I squeezed her, left my arm there, and walked to our fourth period gym class with her by my side. I always cheered Alice up.

I guess my next goal was to do the same thing for Jasper's sister.

**A/N: Do you like it? Hate it? Please review.**


	2. Trying to Help

**Chapter 2: Trying to Help**

I found myself sitting in the front of English again the next day, while Bella sat in the back with her hood up and ear buds in.

I wanted to help so badly.

The bell had yet to ring, so I walked to the back and sat next to her.

"Hi."

She just ignored me.

Wait. No she didn't. Her music was up too loud.

I wrote her a note.

_Hi, Bella._

She picked up her pen and scribbled something.

_FUCK OFF._

For some reason, it offended me.

_I've done nothing to you._

She scoffed.

_You're sitting there, aren't you?_

I looked at the iPod on the table.

_Evanescence's "Sweet Sacrifice"? That's a good song._

A tear rolled down her cheek, and Mr. Moore walked in. About twenty minutes into class, she stood up, grabbed her things, and began to walk out.

"Have a seat, Miss Swan," he said.

She just kept walking.

"Sit down, Miss Swan." His voice was getting louder.

She stopped at the doorway and turned around. "No, thanks. I'm good. Have a nice fucking day, Mr. Moore." Then, she left and slammed the door shut.

He called the office and informed them of what happened. They radioed back and said they'd take care of it. I sighed and sank into my seat, knowing that I caused her more pain.

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_**Jasper's POV**_

I was called to the office, though I had no idea why.

I soon figured it out when I saw Bella curled up in a chair, crying.

"Oh, Bella. What happened?" I asked, running over to her and holding her tightly.

"Th-this k-k-kid named E-Emmett w-wouldn't leave me al-lone…I'm s-sorry. I h-had to l-leave."

"You left just like that?" I asked incredulously.

She nodded. "I might've told the teacher to have a nice fucking day and slammed the door to his class."

"That's what I thought," I said, smiling slightly.

I heard her little laugh, and she said, "Can you take me home?"

"Yeah. Let's go. I'll stay with you." I stood up and picked Bella up, cradling her to my chest. She was light, and I was strong from working out regularly, but I was also lean.

She laid her head on my shoulder. "You don't have to do that…"

"I want to, though. Bella…I only got to see you every other summer. You're my sister. I should've been with you. I could've protected you from him." I felt the water begin to well up in the corners of my eyes.

"Don't blame yourself, Jazz. It was my fault. I could've left him. I should've. But I was scared. You know, mom and Phil never treated me the same after that. It was like they were afraid to break me. They never talked to me, either. You're the only one I've had a real conversation with in four months."

We were in the car, now, but she stopped talking due to her tears. I held mine back so that I could keep a focus on the road. It took us about ten minutes to get home, and I was thankful Charlie was the police chief and always at work. I carried Bella upstairs to her room and laid her down on her bed. I went back out to my Audi - a birthday present from Alice - and retrieved her things. I ran upstairs and knocked before I strolled into her room.

I set down her stuff by her desk and said, "Do you like the room? I know you said black walls, but Charlie forbade it, so I went with gray. I painted it all by myself and picked out the carpet. The white, fluffy kind like you asked for. It just got here last week."

"Thanks…" she whispered.

I sighed and laid down next to her, holding her in a brotherly way.

"I never got to say goodbye to them, Jasper. I was asleep when they left…"

"I didn't either, Bells, but it'll be okay. We'll be okay, I promise."

She nodded, and I turned on the wall-mounted LCD television that Alice gave to me for Christmas. I decided to give it to Bella. I turned it onto MTV and TRL was on. I could tell she was getting sleepy.

"Do you want me to stay or leave?" I asked.

"Stay, please. I need my big brother right now. I love you, Jazz…" her voice trailed off as sleep claimed my little sister by only a year.

I laid there in her bed, but rolled over and fell asleep.

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_**Emmett's POV**_

I felt terrible. I couldn't believe I made Bella cry and leave.

I decided to apologize.

I headed towards their house and parked on the curb when I got there.

I knocked on the door, and Jasper answered looking like he just woke up.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked.

"Can I explain what happened this morning?" He was like my brother, and I knew he could refuse.

He let me in, and I sat down at the table in the kitchen while he poured himself some coffee. He offered some to me, but I simply told him "thanks, but I don't drink that shit." He laughed and sat down.

"So what did you do to make my sister cry?" he asked, sipping from his mug.

I sighed, "I wrote her a note that said hi, but she wrote back and said fuck off. I just told her I didn't do anything, and she got pissed. I'm sorry, man. I was just trying to be her friend. For some reason, I want to make her happy. I knew that when I first saw her, and I didn't even know that she was your sister. I shouldn't have said anything."

"The way she seemed, I guessed that it was worse. It's okay, though. I know you meant no harm, but she's been really sensitive since the incident, and it just got worse with mom's and Phil's deaths." He cared so much about her, and I wondered if he would let me see her.

"Can I please talk to Bella? Please just let me apologize," I begged.

He nodded and took me up to her room.

"Bella? Someone wants to talk to you."

He opened the door, and she buried her head into a pillow, hiding from the light as Jasper turned it on.

"If it's a shrink, tell him to fuck off," she groaned. It seemed like that was her favorite word.

I let out a chuckle, and she looked at me before laying her head back down.

"Ugh…worse…"

"Can I please just talk to you?" I asked.

"There's nothing to say."

"Please?"

She sighed. "Fine. Jasper, give us a minute?"

He nodded and shut the door.

I stood there, looking around her room. It was really cool.

"I like your room. It's awesome," I stated.

"I know you didn't come here to compliment Jasper's decorations, so cut to the chase. Preferably before I fall back asleep."

I grinned slightly. "I wanted to apologize for this morning. I don't know exactly what I did, but I really didn't mean to make you cry. I want to be your friend…"

A tear rolled down her fair-skinned cheek. "Why? So you can take advantage of me while I'm vulnerable? I don't think so."

"Bella, no. Of course, not. I'm not that guy. I don't sleep around. Please believe me."

"Save it, Emmett Hale. I've heard enough. You might as well leave." The tears were coming faster.

I walked over and took a tissue from the box. I went to wipe the water off of her face, but she flinched away from my touch. I set the tissue down.

"Can I tell you something? It's something I've kept bottled up. Can I sit here?" She nodded. "I told everyone my parents died in a crash when I was eleven. The truth is…my dad beat my mom until she was almost dead, and…" It was so painful to talk about this. I was now crying, too.

"What happened, Emmett?" she asked, sounding genuinely interested.

"And he told her he loved her, as he slid a dagger straight into her heart. Then, he pulled it out and shoved it into his. He died in a matter of minutes. He…he made me watch. I called 911, and with his last breaths, he said, 'You see what you've caused, Emmett? This is all your fault.' And I believed him. I still do. But Carlisle and Esme adopted Rosalie and me right away. Rose at the time was with her friends, and when she came home, she saw the mess. The ambulance arrived right after her. We haven't told anyone that, except for Carlisle and Esme."

"Oh, my god. I'm so sorry. Emmett, I had no idea."

"I know. It's fine. Promise me you won't tell anyone."

"I promise."

We were both sobbing uncontrollably. She calmed down slightly and grabbed a tissue. She began to wipe my tears away, and I smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry."

"Me, too. But I still want to be alone tomorrow in English. It's the only time I have for myself and my music. In Biology, I have to put up with you and do shitty lab work." She smiled, showing she was playing.

"Thanks, Bella. I really needed that."

"Anytime." I began to leave. "I don't actually mean that, you know?"

"I know," I said, grinning. I looked back at her, and she had a small smile planted on her lips as well.


	3. Friends?

**Chapter 3: Friends?**

I was glad I finally got that off my chest.

How my parents died, I mean.

Carlisle and Esme tried to talk Rosalie and I into going to a therapist, but we both refused. It was too painful. Rosalie wasn't as bad as I was, for she didn't see them die and because of her hatred for Joseph, our father.

He found her beyond beautiful, which she was, and didn't like it because of all the guys that would hang around her or come over. The boys were always scared away, but he finally thought of a way to make it better - to him anyway.

He beat her every night, leaving bruises scattered across her body. She begged and pleaded for him to stop, but the punches and kicks always came faster. I still remember her screaming at the top of her lungs perfectly.

_Rose walked in, with her best guy friend trailing behind her. It was right after school, and unfortunately, Joseph had the day off. Our mom, however, did not._

"_And who is this?" our father asked._

_I was sitting on the couch watching the game, but I could see it all._

"_This is Jeremy. He's just a friend, daddy," she answered in her sweet voice._

"_Well, Jeremy, I suggest that you leave. I need to teach Rosalie some lessons. Have a good afternoon, son."_

_Jeremy looked a little scared and left. I looked over at Rose and could see the fear in her eyes._

"_I'm sorry, daddy. I thought we could do homework together. I'm not even ready to have a boyfriend, yet. I'm only nine," she said, watching the anger rise up on his face._

"_You know you're supposed to stay away from boys, Rosalie Lillian Hale!"_

_She flinched away from the yelling. "Daddy, you're scaring me…"_

"_I'm going to be doing a lot more than that. Get upstairs to your room right now, young lady."_

_She nodded and ran up the stairs. _

_Joseph looked at me with an evil expression. "Say anything to your mother, and you'll be next."_

_I nodded, although I had no idea what he meant. He followed Rose up the stairs, and I could tell he left the door open because the knob didn't click like it usually did._

"_Bend over the bed!" he yelled. _

_Then, I heard the sound of a belt meeting skin. I stayed planted in my seat, crying for my beloved sister. I heard her scream loudly over and over in time with the belt. The whipping noises finally stopped, and I could hear her labored breathing from downstairs. Then, he hit her; the slapping noise echoed through the house. He hit her once, twice, three times…I finally stopped counting after what seemed like forever. I heard his boot meet her stomach and her scream once again. _

_He finally came downstairs after two hours, twirling the belt around and around. The buckle, I noticed, was dripping with blood. _

_I thought he killed my sister, so I ran upstairs quickly, once he was out of the room. I walked into her room and saw her laying on the floor by the bed, holding her stomach. _

_Her shirt was off, and she had only a sports bra on and her underwear. From my view, I could see the blood coming out of the gashes left across her back. She rolled over, and I saw a purple-blue bruise across most of her stomach. There were bruises all down her arms and down her legs. There were many cuts as well._

"_Let's go to the bathroom, Rosie," I whispered, then took her into her attached bathroom. _

_I drew her a bath, and helped into the tub. She left on her bra and underwear, so I could stay and help her. Ironically enough, I was the one who was crying, while she simply winced in pain. I took the washcloth and cleaned out all of her lacerations, then placed bandages on them all. _

_He was careful to avoid her face and neck so that no one would see. _

_I helped her out of the tub and walked her to her room. I slept in there with her that night, but was told not to do it again. I remember her crying when he said that he better not see it happen a second time. She cried because of the beating and the yelling, yet she had no idea what she really had done._

That was the very first time he beat her.

I was sitting in English having this flashback, and when I finally noticed that the bell had rung, I stood up. I almost ran into Bella, who walked to stand next to me.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered and began to walk away, wiping the tears from my eyes.

"Emmett, what's wrong?" she asked. It was only the third time I had ever heard her talk in school, and it was two weeks into the semester.

The first time was when she mumbled; the second was when she walked out of class.

I shook my head. "Nothing. It's nothing."

Then, she whispered, "Will you walk me to class? There are these two guys who keep harassing me…"

Harassing her?

Harassing Bella?!

Hell, yeah. I'd walk her to class.

"Of course. Point them out when you see them."

She nodded and looked down, leaving the classroom with me not too far behind.

We went to the next building over, and she told me who they were.

I should've known. Matt Billard and Adam Levowsky were known for being pricks.

"I'll be right back," I murmured and walked over to them.

"Do you think you're funny? Picking on some small girl just for kicks?" I asked in a calm, but angry voice. They both laughed.

"Are you talking about that depressed freak?" Matt voiced.

I pushed him into the outside wall of the building and yelled, "She's not a freak! You have no idea what she's been through!"

He still had that smirk on his face. "And you do, Hale? Oh, that's right. I forgot you lost your mommy and daddy when you were little." That hit the spot.

I clenched my teeth and said, "It would be in your best interest to shut your fucking mouth, Billard."

"What are you going to do? Kill me like your dad killed your mom?"

"Who told you that?!" I screamed, but I already knew.

"Your freak of a friend. What was her name? Ella?" He mocked looking thoughtful.

I dropped my hands, unshed tears in my eyes.

"Bella," I whispered, before taking off to my car.

Bella followed me. "Can I explain at least? You owe me that much," she said.

"I owe you?" I asked incredulously. I turned around to face her. "I _owe_ you?! I don't owe you a fucking thing, Isabella Swan! Why don't you go be your depressed, little self and listen to that weird, shitty music you like?! Why don't you do something besides fuck with me?! I was trying to be your friend, but I tell you my darkest secret, and you tell the whole fucking school! So, yeah…Go ahead and explain, but I don't give a damn about what you say. I wanted to be friends, but you wouldn't let me."

"Friends? Face it, Emmett…you were using me, just like every other guy ever has. And I only told those two guys to get them off my back." She had tears running down her face, and for the first time, I didn't care.

"Yes, Bella. I was using you. That's why I told you what really happened to my parents. I haven't even told any of my friends that I've had for years. I thought I could open up to you. I thought you'd understand. How would you like it if I told your secret to the entire school?"

"I wouldn't," she sobbed.

"And that's exactly why I wouldn't do it. Bella, since the first time I saw you, I wanted to help, to be your friend, but no. I can see you don't know the meaning of the word."

I got into my car and drove away, leaving a stunned and crying Bella in the parking lot of Forks High to fend for herself the rest of the day. I thought she understood me, but she only ruined the façade I put up since _that_ happened. She broke down the walls I built after _that_ happened, and at first, I was happy I had someone to talk to. But now, I realize I made a mistake.

Friends?

Who was I kidding?


	4. Saying Sorry

**Chapter 4: Saying Sorry**

I heard a light tap on my door after school.

I was the only one home - I had been all day - so I got up and went into the foyer.

"Who is it?" I asked loudly.

"It's me, Bella. Can I talk to you? Please," she begged.

I opened the door and saw her face. She had a small bruise forming on her cheek. I went from being furious with her to wanting to hug her and make it better.

I let her in and asked, "What happened?"

"I…fell down…the stairs," she lied lamely.

"Tell me the truth."

"Your sister slapped me," she whispered, as if I was going to get mad at her again.

I wanted to yell at my sister, but I knew why she did it. I would've, too, probably…if I was a girl. But I completely forgot Rose at that moment. I should've brought her home also, but she had her car anyway.

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to go through that."

She had a zip up hoodie on, and it was pretty hot, so I asked, "Want me to take your jacket?"

"No," she answered quickly.

I noticed she always wore baggy hoodies, as if she was hiding something.

"Why do you always wear such big jackets?" I wondered aloud.

"No reason…"

"Okay…well, what do you have to say?" I sat down on the couch, and she sat far from me on the other end, like she was scared I would hit her, too.

"I'm sorry. I used the first thing that came to mind to distract them. I shouldn't have. I'm a terrible person, just like John said…" she muttered.

"No, you're not." I went to tuck her hair behind her ear, but she just moved away. I dropped my hand quickly. "Who's John?"

"The guy who raped me…" she cried.

I felt the need to wrap my arms around her, so I questioned it. "Can I hold you? I won't hurt you." It came out as a whisper.

She smiled sadly and nodded. I picked her up and held her close, rocking back in forth in slow, soothing motions. Her tears were becoming more and more scarce.

"Th-thank you, Emmett. I wish that I could take it all back. Everything I said to that guy. I was just so scared, and I thought it might work. The one with the black hair reminded me…" she drew in a shaky breath. "He reminded me of John."

I knew I couldn't stay mad at her, so I said, "It's okay. I'm okay." I tilted her chin up with one of my fingers to get her to look me in the eyes. "And so are you."

She grinned and mumbled another "thank you". "I really do want to be your friend. Will you please consider that? I want to help you, and I feel like you can help me, too, by letting me."

She nodded slowly. "I think I can handle that. I'll let you know if it gets to be too much."

I smiled. "Thanks, Bella." An idea came to mind. "I want to give you something. Be right back."

She looked confused as I ran upstairs, and she had the same expression on her face when I came back down with a big, maroon hoodie in my hands. I held it out to her.

"For you…"

She shook her head. "I can't possibly take this. It's yours."

"The last time I wore it was a year ago. I want you to take it. Please."

She smiled again, and it warmed my soul. She took off her hoodie, and I now understood why she wore it. She had fresh cuts on her wrists, and I could see some of the raised scars from the beating on her shoulders through her shirt.

I grabbed her right hand gently. "Bella?"

She withdrew her hand quickly. "I shouldn't have come," she said to herself. She put her jacket back on and stood up.

"Does Jasper know?" I asked.

"No. Please don't tell him…" She pleaded with her eyes as well as her voice.

"I won't if you let mehelp you."

She scoffed. "How can _you_ help _me_?"

I took off my shirt, contemplating if it was a good idea first. Scars from where I cut myself on my chest showed. I wasn't ashamed of my scars - they showed what I'd been through - but I'm not one to just allow people to see them. Bella, however, was different. We shared so much. She reached out her hand and grazed one of the bumps with her fingertips. A gasp escaped her lips.

"What…happened?" she whispered.

"I started the cuts when I was eleven. I stopped finally when I was fourteen - three years ago. Some of the smaller scars faded away, but I always have these here as reminders."

I pushed the sleeve of her hoodie up to her elbow. Cuts were all over her forearms - some from the beating and some from herself. I kissed her arm all over, trying to comfort her. She winced, and I let go.

"Did I hurt you?" I asked quickly.

"No. The kisses reminded me of…John," she forced out.

"Sorry. It won't happen again. Do you want to go see a movie tonight? We can always rent one…" I suggested.

"Sure. I'd like that, but before you get any ideas about us, I'm not ready for that step. No matter how much I want to be." I'm sure confusion was the main expression on my face, for she added, "Don't think I haven't seen the way you look at me. I mean, I probably have the same expression when I look at you…"

"And what expression would that be?" I questioned, but I had an idea of what it may be.

"You look like you just want to protect me, to keep me safe always. And you stand up for me all the time, and I know you always will by the look in your eyes. The way you look at me makes me melt, and…this is embarrassing…"

"Please continue," I said softly.

"And I want to be with you because it feels like you can help me through anything and vice versa. I know I just met you a couple of weeks ago, but I can't help but think of you, now. Instead of the sad songs and morbid images crossing my mind, it's your name and your face. Everything I see reminds me of you, and I don't want to feel like this because I don't think I'm ready. But at the same time I do…I'm just so scared."

I pulled her into my chest, and we just stood there for a moment, letting Bella calm down.

After a few minutes, I whispered into her ear, "I feel the same way, and I can wait as long as you want me to." I could feel her smile as she buried her face into my exposed chest.

"Let's go rent a movie. What do you want to see?"

"Dawn of the Dead!" she yelled enthusiastically.

She was definitely my type of girl.

----------------------

Two hours later, the horror movie was over, and we were both laughing so hard. I could tell she hadn't in a while, and I was very happy to see that she was.

"Everyone knows zombies aren't that fast!" she yelled through her laughter.

"I know! So funny!"

We were having a great time.

The cell phone rang, and by the ring tone, I knew it was Jasper. I crossed the room and answered. "Yeah, man. What's up?"

"Do you have any idea where my sister is?" He sounded frantic. "I have no clue where she could be!"

"Chillax, Jazz. She's right here. I'm sorry, but we were watching Dawn of the Dead."

"Oh, wow. What is she doing over there?" he asked.

"She came to apologize."

"For what?"

"Spreading the secret about my parents." I mentally slapped myself. He would have no idea what it was because he was sick today."I haven't heard. What's the secret?"

Could I trust him? Yeah, he was like my brother. "It's kind of depressing."

"Is it about the car accident?"

"Uh…well, you see…they didn't die in a crash."

"WHAT?!" he yelled, and I had to hold the phone away from my ear. Bella giggled, and I flashed my dimpled smile at her.

"When I was eleven, my dad beat my mom and stabbed her. Then, he stabbed himself. He made me watch the whole time, then blamed me as he died. Rose came in and saw the mess. She was only sad about mom. Joseph…he beat her all the time." I was in tears again, and Bella rubbed a hand up and down my back.

"Oh, god. I'm so sorry, man. Why didn't you tell anyone?" He sounded very concerned.

"The same reason you told no one about your parents' deaths. I didn't want sympathy, and besides, it was too painful."

"I know what you mean. Can Bella crash at your place? It's late, and I can tell Charlie that she's getting to know Rose better."

"Let me ask." I held the phone away again. "Hey, Bella. Do you mind staying the night? We have an extra bedroom."

"Yeah, sure. I guess that's cool."

"She said okay. I'll bring her home tomorrow whenever she wants."

"Thank god Charlie's working tomorrow," he laughed. "Bye, man."

"Bye." I hung up and turned towards Bella. "Let's go get your bed set up."

She nodded and began to get up, but she stopped and breathed in nervously. "Emmett, I know it may be uncomfortable and weird, but I can't sleep alone."

I understood what she was saying. I slept in Rose's room all the time when I was little, and we still do sometimes.

I grabbed her hand, and we began walking for the stairs. "I don't mind."


	5. Realizations

**Chapter 5: Realizations**

Bella and I were getting along great.

She sat by me now in English and was beginning to talk more, although it was mostly only to me and Jasper. I talked her into not wearing the hoodies as much, and she started coming to school in form-fitting, long sleeve shirts. Today, however, she brought the brown zip-up hoodie I gave her. Her shirt was a light pink, matching the constant blush she had in her cheeks. She wore tight blue jeans and pink ballet flats. She was coming out of her shell, and my Bella looked more perfect than ever. _Woah. My Bella? I'm thinking too much. _She was smiling more lately, and I was causing most of them. Jasper was causing the other.

I walked into lunch late with Bella by my side. Many rumors were being spread that we were going out now, but the truth is, I was Bella's only friend besides her brother. We picked out a larger, round table so that we could have more space and be comfortable. Bella sat in between Jasper and me, with Alice on the other side of Jasper. Rosalie sat next to me, and Edward was in between the two girls. A perfect table. I began to eat, and I felt a small hand graze mine underneath the table. I looked at Bella, and she blushed when I intertwined our fingers. We both knew that we were just friends, but we both also knew we wanted so much more. So, we had little affectionate gestures that helped us through this.

On another note, I began to see Edward eyeing Rose more and more. Rose was the same way. I soon found out the night before that they were dating, but keeping it a secret for awhile. I could tell that my that particular friend was in love with my sister, and vice versa.

They had the same look in their eyes as Bella did when she looked at me. The more time I spent with Bella, the more I began to fall for her more and more. Time had flown by so fast with her here, for the school year was ending this week. Tomorrow was our last day. We got our yearbooks, and we were passing them around. I signed Jasper's first.

_Hey, man. Thanks for having my back and saving me from failing this year! Summer's gonna be awesome, dude. As always…your brother, Emmett._

Edward was next.

_I give you permission to date my sister, but know that I'll kick your ass if you hurt her at all. Other than that, we're good, man. This summer's gonna be sweet! -Emmett_

Then, Alice.

_Alice…my hyper, pixie friend, Alice. I'm glad you're spending the summer with us! I don't know what I'd do without your high-pitched voice squealing at every thing in sight __:) Love you…Emmett_

Second to last…my sister.

_I love you, sis. I'm glad you're my twin, and we get to spend our school years together. I seriously have no idea what I'd do if I didn't have you in my life. Love you so, so much…Emmett - your favorite brother._

Finally, Bella handed hers to me. I took a deep breath and began to write, hiding the page from her.

_Bella, I had an amazing time with you these past five months, and I think it would be safe to say that I love you. I have since you first walked through that door on January 7th__, your first day at Forks High. Your presence has brought me so much joy to my life, and I can't possibly see how I could live without it anymore. I don't want to be pushing you away when I say this, Bells, because it's true. I. Love. You. I always will. I'm glad you're staying with Jasper, and even though all of the events that led to your coming here were tragic, I'm glad you're with us…with me. Loving you every minute of every day…Emmett Hale._

I closed the book and whispered, "Read it when you get home."

She nodded, and we all parted, except for Alice and me. We began our walk to gym class.

"You love her, don't you?" Alice asked out of the blue.

"Who?" I was caught off guard, but I knew who she meant.

"Bella."

"Yes. I really love her. It's only been five months, but I feel like I've known her my whole life, like I was meant to protect her," I sighed wistfully.

"I can tell by the look in your eyes whenever you glance at her. So can Jasper. He thinks that you'd be perfect for her."

"That means a lot to me. I would always ask Jasper if he was okay with it before I started anything with Bella."

She smiled and went into the girls' locker room, while I went into the guys'.

-----------------------

When I got home from picking up a burger after school, Bella's truck was parked in my driveway. I walked inside and heard her crying. I ran into the living room and held my arms out to her. She embraced me, still sobbing, and I almost didn't notice Rosalie get up and leave. I mouthed a "thank you" and began rubbing soothing circles on her back. When she finally calmed down, we laid down on the couch like we had so many times before.

"Emmett?"

"Yes, Bellaboo?"

She grinned when I said her nickname. "I love you, too. I think…I think I might be ready for a real relationship. It's been almost a year."

"Are you sure?" I asked, not wanting her to rush into this.

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life. I want this." Her voice was so sincere; I couldn't doubt her.

"I love you. Thank you." I leaned into kiss her, but stopped, remembering all the times she flinched away from my touch at the beginning.

"Em?" I looked into her eyes. "Just kiss me already."

And I did. Her lips were so soft, like warm satin, and I loved the way our mouths worked in perfect harmony. I licked her lower lip, asking for entrance, which she happily granted. Our tongues fought for dominance in the gentlest way. When we finally pulled apart, she was smiling from ear to ear, as was I.

She leaned her head against my chest and whispered, "It feels so right being here. I'm glad I finally realized what I wanted."

"It feels right just to have you in my arms, Bella. And I'm glad I finally realized I could give you this. I can't say it enough. I love you, my Bella." I sighed contently and began to fall asleep.

I could tell Bella was, too, when she replied, "I love you, too, and I hope you tell me every minute, like I will to you."

"Of course. Let's take a nap," I yawned.

"Okay. Let's."

"Oh, and Bella?"

"Hmm?"

I put my mouth next to her ear and breathed the words, "I love you."


	6. Summer Love

**Chapter 6: Summer Love**

The first two weeks of summer were amazing.

I had Bella Swan by my side every minute of every day. I loved her with all my heart, and I could tell she felt the same for me. Due to the rape she suffered a year ago, I couldn't kiss her as much as I liked. They were very seldom - all of them being on her cheek or forehead - and I mostly just held her in my arms.

The third week of summer, the whole gang packed bags and bags of clothing and such. We were all spending the rest of the summer on Carlisle's boat. The captain he hired would be the only adult there on the enormous yacht.

We had to fly to California just to get on the boat, but the flight was quick. I led Bella up the ramp to the dock of the ship and took her to Jasper's cabin. We each had our own, but she would have to share with her brother. The rest of our friends got on, and I heard the chorus of ooh's and ahh's.

"Wow, Em. This is…just wow," Bella whispered in awe.

"Yeah. With Carlisle being one of the most respected doctors, he usually lives a life full of luxury," I chuckled.

"I should've guessed by the size of your house. Or should I say mansion?" she smiled.

I hugged her close to my chest, running my fingers through her hair. "I love you, Bellaboo."

"I love you, too, Teddy Bear," she sighed.

I smiled at my nickname. "I'll be right back. I'm going to carry my things to my room."

"Okay. I'm going to go hang out with Jazz."

I nodded and made my way to my cabin, putting all of my stuff away.

"Hey, Emmett," Rosalie said from behind me.

"Yeah, sis?"

"I was wondering…Do you think it's okay for Edward and I to go public, now? Or should we wait for the school year to start?" she asked. She was so concerned, and it was sweet.

"You might as well go ahead and tell Jasper, Alice, and Bella." I saw her smile dreamily and added, "I can tell that you love him a lot."

"I really do. I think he could be the one, Em."

"Woah, Rosie. Take it slow. We're not even into our senior year, yet."

"I don't care. I know he loves me, too." Her eyes were sparkling as she said this.

"Did you know that he's had a crush on you since second grade?" I asked.

She giggled. "No, I didn't, but thanks for telling me. Don't tell him, but I never really looked at him that way until about a year ago. When I noticed his smiles and stares near the end of our sophomore year, it made my heart go into overdrive, and I knew I wanted to be with him."

I walked over to my sister and kissed her forehead. "I'm fine with it, as long as I'm still the number one guy in your heart."

She smiled and replied, "Always, bro. But as long as I'm number one in yours, Bella is perfect for you. You've been broken too long, and I'm not the only one who saw through your act these last six years. Our friends just decided not to say anything after I dismissed it. By the way, how are your cuts doing?"

She always did take good care of me, even though she was the one who was beat, but it was the first time she brought it up in a year. "They're fine. All healed up. Don't tell anyone. You, Jasper, and Bella are the only people who know."

She grinned and nodded, then kissed my cheek. "I love you. Now, let's go tell our friends about Eddie and me."

"Wait. How are you holding up? You know…about the…um…deaths of our parents? We never talk about it anymore…"

"I'm doing fine. I'm better than I have been because of Edward. I miss mom, though. And you?"

"I miss her, too, but Bella's helped me a lot. And just knowing that your happy makes me feel better about the whole situation you had with Joseph," I replied, referring to the beatings.

We both smiled. I took her hand, and we walked up to the deck. She told everyone about her lover boy, but none of them were too surprised. Alice was just super giddy. We all knew it would happen one day.

We spent most of the day swimming in the pool, with the exception of Bella. I understood that she was scared of what people would think of her, so I sat out with her. We playing card games, and I was surprised to see her beat me at most of the ones we playing. I caught her glancing over at the pool often, but neither of us said a word.

Hours had passed, and nighttime came. We ate dinner with Michael, the captain. We had burgers and fries, which Edward cooked for us all. The food was great, and we all parted our separate ways to go to bed. Bella kissed me sweetly before she followed Jasper into their room.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. She hadn't kissed me or vice versa since she first told me she loved me. I grinned a goofy grin and went to bed.

I just laid there for an hour, thinking of Bella. I heard a soft knock on my door, and I said, "Come in."

Bella walked in in just a large t-shirt and shorts. I turned my lamp on, and she shut the door, walking slowly over to my bed.

"I couldn't sleep. I wanted to be with you," she admitted shyly.

"Same here," I whispered as I pulled her next to me.

Her scars were illuminated in the light, and I gasped. She quickly pulled the blanket over her, tears in her eyes.

"Can I see them?" I asked, and she removed the blanket slowly.

I turned the overhead light on with a remote on my nightstand. I grabbed her hand gently and pulled the shirt sleeve all the way up, exposing all of her skin on her right arm to me. I trailed my fingers over the long gashes that had been healed, and the smaller ones on her wrists and forearms were just small pink lines, now.

"I haven't cut myself since you showed me your chest," she said, running her fingertips my scars.

I smiled and questioned, "Can I see the rest of them?"

She nodded, sitting up and removing her shirt. She was sitting there in only a bra, and it made me want her so bad, but I wouldn't do that. Not until she was ready. We've only been together for about a month anyway.

I saw all of the cuts on her stomach, her collarbone, her chest - or what I could see of it. I saw where the doctors cut her open to set her ribs back into place, and I ran my hands over it.

"I'm so sorry," I sighed.

I laid my head on her stomach, unable to look at her upper body anymore and unwilling to let myself see her legs. She ran her hand through my hair.

"I'm fine, now. I have you, now, and it's made everything better. I love you, Emmett."

"I love you, too."

I took a chance and turned my head slightly to kiss her stomach. I looked up at her, and she smiled. I kissed the long scar by her ribs, and she still didn't stop me. Instead, she moaned slightly. Urged on by that beautiful sound, I kissed higher up, near the under wire of her bra.

"Emmett…" she moaned again.

I kissed the tops of her breasts that were showing over her bra. Before I knew what was going on, she grabbed my face and pulled me into a long, heated kiss, which was filled with love. I wanted her so bad.

"Bella, we need to stop. I want you so much, but I'm not going to force you into this," I whispered.

"Em, I don't want to stop. I love you, and I want to show you. I'm ready. Please…"

I couldn't resist her begging, so instead, I asked, "Are you sure? I don't want you to regret this in the morning…"

She repeated her words from three and a half weeks ago. "I've never been more sure about anything in my life. I want this."

I sighed in defeat and kissed her again, gentler this time. I slid off her shorts and chanced a glance at her legs. _So many cuts, scars, gashes._ I kissed them all, every single one of them. I trailed my kisses back up her body. I lifted her up and unsnapped her bra, letting it fall off her arms. I kissed each of her breasts, then licked her left one, kneading the right in my hand. She ran her hands up and down my back, sighing my name over and over. I switched my attention to her other breast, then kissed it when I was done.

I traveled down her slender frame again. This time, I pulled her panties off, and seeing that she was hairless, I gave her a questioning glance.

She giggled. "It's summer. I didn't know if I would have the courage to swim."

_Duh. Don't be so stupid_, I chastised myself. I blew air over her nether lips, and she bucked her hips. I kissed her clit, then licked it. She moaned again. _God, I love that._ I brought a finger up to her slit and rubbed it back and forth. After about a minute of that, I slid it into her slowly. I pumped in and out at a moderate pace and carefully added a second finger, not wanting to hurt her. I began to suck on her clit, and I could tell she was close to her orgasm. I grazed my teeth over it, and she came on my fingers with a long, but quiet moan of my name. I sat back up at the bed next to her, and she kissed me, tasting herself on my tongue.

"Thanks, baby. But now, it's my turn." I had never heard her voice become so sexy, and it made me even harder than I was.

She pushed my shoulder back and crawled on top of me, sliding my boxers down and freeing my erection. She stared at it for a long time, and a smile grew on my face.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah. You're just…so big." My ego inflated a ton at that comment.

She blew a breath of air over my tip, and I said, "You don't have to do this."

"I want to, though," she whispered, then closed her mouth over the head.

I groaned at the sensation of her hot mouth around me. She brought her hand up to stroke what she couldn't fit into her mouth, which was a lot if you ask me. She bobbed her head up and down, and the image was enough to send me over the edge.

"Bella, baby. I'm gonna come. Move when I tell you."

She looked up at me through her lashes, but continued to suck.

"Okay, move!"

And she did, just as I shot my hot load all over the sheets. She wiped her mouth and kissed me.

"Sorry if I was bad. That was my first time…" she trailed off, laying her head on my chest.

_Holy shit! That was her first time?! _

"I never would've known if you hadn't told me," I said honestly.

I rolled us over so I was on top of her and kissed her swollen lips. I was already hard again, and I wanted to be inside of her so badly. I could tell she was thinking the same thing as she grinded her hips up into mine.

"Em…please, baby…"

I kissed her again as I guided myself to her entrance. I rubbed it back and forth along her wet slit and went it just a little. She was so tight. I went in a little at a time, until I was completely sheathed inside of her hot body.

"Are you okay?" I whispered.

"Better than ever," she replied as she ran a hand through my hair and kissed my cheek.

"I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, too."

I pulled out slowly, then went back in in a quick motion. We both moaned at the pleasure that was inflicted upon us. I thrust into her again and again, and I could feel my cock throbbing slightly. I held off for as long as possible, but when I couldn't anymore, I brought my hand in between us and rubbed her clit. We both came together, and it was the single, most amazing feeling I ever had.

"EMMETT!" she screamed with the force of her orgasm, and Jasper ran into my room.

"Oh, my god!" he yelled, then covered his eyes. "What the hell is going on?"

I covered us up, and Bella was red with embarrassment.

"Jasper, don't be mad at Emmett. He said we needed to stop, but I told him I didn't want to. Please, if you're going to be mad at someone, be mad at me," she said quietly.

"Fine," he growled. "Get your clothes back on and go to our room."

She did as she was told, and I watched shamelessly while Jasper had his back to her.

When she was done, she left, and he looked at me. "Stay the hell away from her for the rest of the trip. You know she's fragile."

"That's two more months!" I exclaimed. "Besides, you can't tell her what to do. She can make her own decisions. She's not a little girl!"

"Yes, she is! She's been through so much already, and she doesn't need to be fucking my best friend right now! She doesn't need somebody using her!"

"I'm not fucking using her!" Everyone had come down the hall to my room. "I love her with all of my heart, and you can't take her away from me!"

"Just watch!" He stormed off and to the next floor up.

I stood up, unashamed by all of my friends watching me, and put on my boxers. I ran next door to Jasper and Bella's room, pushing past the crowd gathered in the hall, and saw my Bella crying and curled up into a ball on her bed.

I ran and held her, whispering, "You know I'm not using you. I love you. And whatever happens, please don't regret what we did. It was one of the best moments in my life."

"I don't. And it was perfect in every way." She looked into my eyes. "Em?"

"Yes?"

"What was the best moment in your life?" she asked.

She surprised me at wondering that, but I answered honestly. "When you told me you loved me, too."

"The best moment in my life was when I read my yearbook and realized that I wanted to be with you, that you really cared about me. Em…I love you with all of my heart, always."

"I love you, too, Bellaboo. Always." I sighed contently, holding her there in my arms after we just made love, even though we were yelled at for it. "Hey, baby, I'm going to go to my room, now. Okay?"

She clung onto me as I tried to get up. "I'm coming, too."

I sat her back down on her bed. "I don't think that's such a great idea. I'll be right next door when you wake up. I love you." I kissed her forehead, and she nodded.

"Love you more," she whispered.

Right before I shut the door, I replied, "You don't know how impossible that is…"


	7. Leaving

**Chapter 7: Leaving**

I woke up to the bright sunshine filtering in through the porthole.

I got up and stretched, smiling as I remembered last night. I put on some shorts and a t-shirt and went up to the deck. Everyone else was already up, and I saw Bella sitting near the front of the boat, talking to Jasper with tears running down her face.

"No!" I heard her yell, but I didn't go over there.

Instead, I went inside the dining room and saw Alice, Edward, and Rosalie eating. I looked at the clock, and it said 11am. They were all speaking with each other happily, completely oblivious to the argument going on outside. Or they just chose to ignore it. Bella and Jasper walked in about ten minutes later, and Bella just looked at me, then looked back down, new tears forming in her eyes. She walked over to me and sat in my lap, not looking at my face again.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"Nothing, Em. I'm okay," she answered.

"I should've let you sleep in my room last night," I said, mostly to myself.

"Don't blame yourself for my tears, okay? Never do that. Jasper just told me something, and it made me sad. Don't worry. Let's have fun," she replied, forcing a smile.

I nodded and kissed her forehead. "I love you. Want something to eat?"

"I love you, too. And yes, I would love that. Do you have any fruit?"

"Of course," I voiced, sitting her down in the chair I was in and walking to the mini-fridge.

I pulled out a fruit tray, complete with vanilla yogurt, and set it in front of her. I sat back down in the chair next to her and let her eat. When she was done, I put the remaining fruit in the fridge and grabbed her hand.

"Let's go watch a movie," she said.

I smiled and nodded, standing up and pulling her to the movie theater on the yacht.

"What do you want to watch?" I asked.

She twisted her hands in my shirt and laid her head on my chest. "Dawn of the Dead."

And so we did. But there wasn't the laughter filling every silence. There was only the tension in the air, like what we had wasn't going to last. Like it was all going to be taken away in a matter of minutes.

I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her closer into my side, kissing the top of her head over and over. She smiled up at me every once in awhile, but it didn't reach her eyes. She said she had to go to the bathroom, so I paused the movie and waited for her to come back.

She came back about ten minutes later. She was wearing my big brownish-red hoodie with a pair of jeans on. Only one thing came to mind.

"Bella, let me see your wrists," I said.

"They look the same as they did before I left," she replied.

"Bella, let me see your wrists," I repeated in a louder voice.

She held them close to herself, so I grabbed her hand and pulled it to me.

"Ow, Em. Stop…"

I loosened my grip and, despite her struggles, managed to pull the sleeve of the jacket up to her elbow. I gasped in both anger and concern when I saw little cuts up and down her forearm. There were four cuts of different sizes, and I dropped her arm. I stood up and ran to the front of the deck again. I saw Jasper laughing at some joke Edward said and pushed him against the wall of the dining room.

"What the hell did you say to Bella, you dickhead?!" I yelled in his face.

"I didn't say anything to her! And if I did, it wouldn't be any of your business, asshole!"

He tried to break free of my grip, but I just tightened my hands on his shoulders. Tears were streaking down my face.

"What did you say?" I said in a quieter voice, afraid that if I spoke any louder my voice would break.

Edward put a hand on my shoulder. "Calm down, and explain what happened."

I let go, unable to hold on for any longer, and fell to the floor. I leaned against the wall and put my head in my hands.

"It was all my fault," I murmured, the sobs shaking my voice.

Rose came and sat down next to me. She wrapped her arms around me and whispered, "You can tell us. Tell me…"

My voice was almost silent. "Bella…she started cutting herself again."

She gasped and ran to the theater.

"It's all my fault…" I muttered again.

"Damn right, it is. You knew she couldn't handle it, yet you fucked her anyway," Jasper growled.

I looked up at him. "Instead of chastising me, why don't you go check out your sister's bloody wrists."

His eyes widened, then took off to the theater as well.

I sat like that for thirty minutes, as well as Alice and Edward. Bella finally came back out.

"Bella, honey. Are you okay?" I asked.

She nodded, then went downstairs. I guessed that she was going to her cabin. I decided to leave her alone.

"What did she say?" I asked.

"She wouldn't tell us anything, but I have a feeling that the blonde-haired prick has an idea," Rosalie growled.

"Yeah, I do. Your fucking brother fucked my fucking sister while she's fucking hurting underneath her fucking happy act," he replied angrily.

She crossed her arms. "Yeah, I think I _fucking _got that. But this isn't Emmett's fault. It's yours. I could see the fear and hatred in her eyes when she looked up at you. I can't believe she got stuck with you for a brother. You don't even love her."

"Yes, I do," he replied quietly. "I'm just trying to protect her from bastards like Emmett."

"Hello. I'm sitting right here," I said.

"Hello. I don't care," he retorted.

We all steered clear of each other for the rest of the day. I swam laps around the pool to pass the time, but it got old after about two hours. I went to the on-board gym to work out. I unleashed a lot of my anger and pain for Bella on the punching bags. I stayed for three hours, working on different parts of my body. I finally decided to just call it a night. It was already eight o' clock, anyway.

I went downstairs and showered, taking my time. I threw on some pajama pants and went to sleep.

For some reason, I felt like this was the last time I'd see Bella, but I dismissed the thought because there was no way she could get off the ship.

I fell asleep thinking only of my love and concern for Bella Swan.

--------------------------

I woke up late the next morning. It was 12pm.

I turned on my lamp and saw a note on the nightstand in Bella's handwriting.

_Emmett,_

_I love you so much. Never forget that. I guess it's time for us to take a break. Jasper's getting a small boat from the captain, and we're leaving. He's taking me somewhere with Charlie for the rest of the summer. When he said to watch him take me away from you, he meant it. I'm going to miss you. I'll see you in the fall. It's only 53 days away. I'll probably be gone by the time you wake up, so don't bother looking for me. Here's a present for you. Cherish it always. Once again, I love you, Teddy Bear. I'll only be thinking of you these next few weeks._

_Love always, _

_Isabella "Bellaboo" Swan_

I could see where her tears stained the paper. I looked at a table across the room, and sure enough, there was a gift box setting on it. She probably got it from the gift shop on-board.

I opened it, and in it was another box and a hoodie. I looked at the note inside.

_I hope you like this present. This hoodie…It helped me through the rape and deaths of my mom and Phil. I've had it sense middle school, and I always thought it was lucky. I'm pretty sure you can't wear it, but it's the thought that counts. Now, hurry up and open the box. Rose and Alice helped with that one._

_-Bella_

I did as the note said and opened the rectangular box. Inside was a framed picture and others that weren't.

The framed one was a picture of me holding her and both of us laughing. I was kissing her forehead in the next one, and she had her eyes closed, smiling. The next picture was of her in my big hoodie, smiling as it swallowed her. Then, there was an image of me with my eyes closed and head thrown back laughing. The last one was of us kissing, her arms around my neck and mine around her waist.

We looked so happy in all of them, so carefree. I went to set the pictures back in the box when I notice a poem at the bottom.

_Loving you was no chore;_

_I know you're meant for me._

_Each and every day, I'll miss you more,_

_But you'll still be at sea._

_The boat's arrived, my time has come;_

_I must leave you, now._

_In fifty-three days, I hope you're not done,_

_And that you'll still love me somehow._

_The weeks ahead will be full of pain,_

_For I'll only be thinking of you._

_But knowing that I'll see you again_

_Will help me make it through._

_Now, you know why I was crying, why the tears wouldn't stop,_

_And I couldn't look you in the eye._

_Now, a part of me's dying, you're haunting my thoughts,_

_But I still depart with a sigh._

_I love you, my dear Teddy Bear,_

_And know that I always will._

_I'll keep in mind your loving stare,_

_And how, with a kiss, our love is sealed._

I was crying at how beautiful it was and how she had been taken away. I reread the poem over and over, and I couldn't help but think how right I was.

I was right when I thought yesterday would be the last time I saw her, that our love would be abused by some third party.

And the third party was Jasper.

My best friend, her brother…

He did this to us.


	8. Leaving, Part 2

**Chapter 8: Leaving--Part 2**

**A/N: I thought everyone should know how Bella is feeling finally. This is taking place at the same time as last chapter. Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

_**Bella's POV**_

Jasper woke me up and 9am this morning and handed me some clothes. I walked up to the deck and met him at the front of the boat.

"Hey, Jazz," I greeted him, leaning against the railing beside my brother.

"Hey. I wanted to apologize for last night. I shouldn't have said those things," he said, looking distant.

"You should be sorry. You hurt both of us very much," I replied, not really caring that he was regretful.

"You weren't ready for that step."

"How the fuck do you know what I'm ready for?" I was growing angrier.

"Because I'm your brother, and I can tell."

"How? You were only my brother every other summer since I was five. That's two months, and I only saw you six times. And these last five months, you _had_ to be my brother, but I know that you don't like carrying a fragile, rape victim around."

"Bella," he sighed, turning towards me. "I can still tell. I just know, okay? And I'm glad you're finally here. I love being your brother."

"Do you remember why mom took me and not you?" I asked, blowing off his last comment.

"No, not really. I was six. A lot's happened since then," he dismissed.

"Yeah, tell me about it." I rolled my eyes. "But I still remember it clearly. Mom decided to divorce Charlie, and I remember you were really sad. I knew you loved mom. I remember that Charlie said that she couldn't take the kids, and we both were torn. I remember wanting to go with mom, and I wanted you to come, too. Then, you said that you didn't want to be near me, that I caused their divorce when I was born because of the stress I put on them. Hell, you didn't even know what you were talking about, or maybe you did, but it hurt more than anything. I remember crying and telling mom just to take me away, and with court orders, she did. I know Charlie had to force you to see me, and I didn't like it any more than you did." Tears were welling up in my eyes. "The sad thing is I loved you then, and I still love you, now."

"Bella, I do love you. I'm sorry. I want to make it up to you. I called dad, and we're all going on a vacation for the rest of the summer, just us three."

"No!" I yelled, then lowered my voice, when I saw Emmett walking into the dining room. "You're only doing this to keep me away from Emmett. Jasper, I love him, and he's the single, most important person in my life. He's the only one who's looked at me like I was normal. I see you try, but it's fake."

"I'm only doing it to protect you. I love you, no matter what you think or what John told you," he growled.

The tears overflowed in rapid currents down my face. "How the fuck could you even bring him up, you dick-eating asshole?! I thought you said you cared about me! Go jump off a bridge, Jasper Swan! Or better yet…jump off the ship!" I yelled in his face, then hit him hard across his cheek. He had a red handprint forming, and he grabbed my arm tightly.

In a low, menacing voice, he said, "You're going on the vacation whether you like it or not, Isabella Marie Swan. You have no fucking choice."

He dropped my arm, which caused me to wince in pain as the blood started flowing again, and for the first time since I met him, I was scared. He reminded me of…John. I wanted to curl up into a ball and die, but I knew I had to be strong. I wiped my tears away, nodded, and began to walk into the room in which Emmett just entered. I felt Jasper's presence behind me, and I knew he was close.

I went into the room in which everyone was eating and looked at Emmett's beautiful face. I looked away quickly, but tears were forming again. I would miss him so much. I walked over and sat in his lap, careful not to look at his beautiful blue eyes again.

"What's wrong?" he asked. He sounded so concerned.

"Nothing, Em. I'm okay," I replied lamely.

I heard him say something under his breath. It sounded like, "I should've let you sleep in my room last night."

"Don't blame yourself for my tears, okay? Never do that. Jasper just told me something, and it made me sad." That's an understatement. "Let's have fun." I forced a smile, just to make him feel better, but it didn't look like he bought it.

He nodded and kissed my forehead. _God, this boy was so sweet. _"I love you. Want something to eat?"

Every time he said those three words, it made my heart melt. It was the best feeling, better than the amazing love making we did the night before.

"I love you, too. And yes, I would love that. Do you have any fruit?" I asked.

"Of course." He sat me in the chair and retrieved some fruit out of the mini-fridge.

He sat a whole tray in front of me and sat down next to me, watching me eat with love in his eyes. When I finished, he put the fruit up and grasped my small hand in his big one.

"Let's go watch a movie," I said. I knew it would give me time to think about he upcoming doom that would rain down on my life. I didn't want to, but I would have to sometime.

When we got to the boat's theater, he asked, "What do you want to watch?"

I clutched his shirt tightly and rested my head against his chest. "Dawn of the Dead." It was the first movie we watched together. And it would be the last, at least for the rest of the summer.

I sat there thinking about my lovable Emmett. I suddenly had the urge to go pee, so I excused myself to the bathroom. After I relieved myself, I washed my hands and looked over at a box by the small trashcan. I picked it up and opened it. I knew what was inside before I even ripped the tape off. The small box contained my razors, dull from so much use. Without thinking, I pulled the newest one out, which had been used once before. I placed it against my wrist and slid it across my skin, relishing the pain for the first time in months. I placed it up higher, digging it into my scarred skin. I repeated this twice more, then washed my arm off. My gaze could not leave the red water traveling down the drain, nor could my thoughts of what I'd just done. I held in my tears, not wanting to cry because I had been gone too long already, and repackaged my blades. I went into my cabin and threw on some jeans and Emmett's hoodie, suddenly ashamed of my body. I walked back out and sat down in the large, leather chair next to my boyfriend.

"Bella, let me see your wrists," he said, surprising me. I knew I had been gone for ten minutes, but I didn't think he'd jump to that conclusion, even if it was the truth.

"They look the same as when I left."

"Bella, let me see your wrists," he repeated, his voice becoming louder.

I crossed my arms and held them close to my chest. He grabbed my left hand, and his thumb was pressing into one of the cuts.

"Ow, Em. Stop…"

He loosened his grip to where it didn't hurt anymore and raised the sleeve of my jacket. He gasped and dropped my arm. Then, he stood up and ran away.

_Great, Bella. You're such a freak. Why can't you be normal and stop scaring people out of your life?_ A voice in the back of my head was telling me.

I blew it off and began to cry, noticing that I disgusted the one person I loved. A few minutes later, Rosalie came back to comfort me.

"Are you okay, Bella?" she asked in her kind, sweet voice.

"I'm fine."

"Sometimes pain feels good. I understand." I looked at her, my expression confused. In a voice barely above a whisper, she said, "I cut myself sometimes. The pain gets to be too much when I remember my mother laying in a pool of blood, while the man who beat me is holding a dagger in his hand, dead next to her. I was glad he was gone. I wouldn't have to suffer anymore. But my mom was everything to me. She was such a caring woman, and she would've killed Joseph if she had known what he was doing to me, but he somehow kept it a secret from everyone but Emmett for two years." Tears were running down her face, but her voice was even, like she didn't even know they were there. "So yeah…pain is needed at times."

I nodded. Her past was similar to mine, yet so different. "You're like the sister I never had."

She smiled, as did I, but mine quickly faded when I saw Jasper enter the room. Rose wrapped her arm around me, as if she were protecting me. I glared at Jasper with all the hatred I could muster up, but I was still scared of him, and I was shaking slightly with that fear.

"Damn it, Bella! Cutting yourself? Really?" He ran a hand through his blonde hair.

I unconsciously moved closer to Rose.

"Instead of scaring her or judging her, why don't you be a good brother and see if she's okay?" she asked, her voice dripping with disgust.

He nodded and walked over. "Bella, can I please see your wrist?" he asked in a quiet, calmer voice.

I held my hand out to him, afraid that if I didn't, he'd hurt me. It was silly, but I had been through it once. I remembered one day when John came over.

_I had just finished a cutting session. Yes, they began before I even started dating John._

_I opened the door and forced a smile when he walked in. _

"_How was your day, babe?" he asked in his melodic voice._

"_It was fine. How was yours?"_

"_I played some football with the guys. Nothing big," he shrugged._

_We went into the living room of my suburban, Phoenix house, and I turned on the television. He grabbed my hand, and I winced in pain. He noticed and looked down._

"_Holy crap, Bells! What happened to your arms?" Shock was written across his face. His dark hair covered his eyes as he examined the small cuts. "Did you do these?" he asked quietly._

_I had never been able to lie to John successfully, so I just nodded._

"_What the hell?! There's no possible reason to go all emo like this!" he exclaimed, scaring the shit out of me, and he stood up, pacing the floor._

"_I know. I just…had to." I had no real explanation. I only did it when my mind felt like it needed some relief._

_Before I knew what happened, he hit the side of my face with the palm of his hand. It was hard enough to knock me out of my seat. Tears blurred my vision as I looked up at him. Anger was the dominant expression on his face, and his eyes were smoldering as he glared at me. His image haunted me as I faded into darkness._

_I vaguely remembered waking up in a hospital with a doctor standing over me. _

"_Glad to see you finally awake, Miss Swan. It was quite a fall you took there," he said._

_That was when I knew that that wouldn't be the last time John Thomas hit me. It would be the first of many, but I was too afraid to get out of the relationship. He was the type of person who would track you down and beat you to death. I only realized later that sometimes he did.  
_

I came back to the present, finally aware of my surroundings.

"Bella? Bella. Bella!"

I kept hearing my name repeat, but I couldn't draw my attention away from Jasper. Rose repeated my name until she realized it was no good and swatted Jasper's hand away from mine.

He sighed and said, "Why don't you go downstairs, Bella? You should rest…"

I knew what he meant by that. It translated into, "Go pack your shit up so we can get the hell out of here."

I nodded and went back into the dining room.

"Bella, honey. Are you okay?" Emmett asked.

I just nodded solemnly and headed downstairs to the cabin I shared with Jasper. I began to toss all of my clothes into my suitcases, not really seeing through my tears. A couple of hours later, Jasper came down and started packing as well.

After forty-five minutes of silence, he said, "I do love you, Bella, and I have a feeling this is going to help us all."

I forced a sad smile and continued to gather my things. I finally went to bed at about 8 o' clock, but I just laid there for awhile before I went back upstairs. I recruited Alice and Rose to help me with a present for Emmett. They didn't know I was leaving, so they happily obliged. I got my gift together after two hours and sneaked into a sleeping Emmett's room. Jasper told me his plan, but not where we were going, so I wrote a note from the information I knew and placed it on the nightstand. I watched him sleep for a moment more. He was smiling happily, and I only hoped that he was dreaming of me. I finally left, kissing his lips softly before shutting the door behind me.

------------------

The next morning, I woke up early and gathered my things.

Jasper and I walked up to the lower deck where Michael was and waited for him to give us the keys to our boat. He handed us a set and helped us down into the large motorboat. We thanked him and set off. We weren't far from shore; I could see the marina from where we were at. Jasper said he was sorry again, but I tuned him out, watching the sun making it's rise into the sky.


	9. Dead Without Her, Him

**Chapter 9, Part 1: Dead Without Her**

_**Emmett's POV**_

Days had passed since she left. I'm not sure how many; they ran together.

I only knew that I missed her - her loving stares, the way we were so carefree together, kissing her, holding her. I kept the image of her battered arms in my head as punishment.

If I had just let her sleep with me, then she wouldn't have had that talk with Jasper.

If I had interrupted them when she yelled at him, she wouldn't have hurt herself.

Yes, I was the cause of her pain, just as I was the cause of my parents' deaths.

I went through each day the same way - I ate when I was hungry, I slept when I was tired, I showered when I felt unclean, I drank when I was thirsty, and I cried when I thought of Bella.

God, Bella was everything to me. She was my whole life, and she gave me a reason to live. She was gone, and now, so was I. Our love would never perish, but the way our hearts were intermingled at the same time our hands were was gone. The way our kisses lingered long after our lips parted was gone. The tingling feeling I got when she set her hand upon my cheek was gone. My beautiful, beautiful Bella…was gone.

No one could talk to me. They all had tried, but I only vaguely remember Rose speaking to me the day I found out Jasper took my love away.

_My sister walked into my cabin, and she noticed the poem in my hand. She read it, saying that it was only Bella's words on the paper, and that she had no idea she was helping her with a goodbye present. She sat on my bed next to me, holding me tightly in her maternal-like embrace. We sat there forever, just crying into each others' shoulders. We were finally getting our sobs to die down when we heard a small, pixie voice talking her way into my room._

"_Do either of you know where Jasper and Bella are?" she asked._

_Rose and I looked at each other, began crying again, and held our arms out to Alice. _

"_They're gone, aren't they?" We nodded. "Oh, god. My Jazzy's gone…"_

_We sat there for hours, tears falling from each of our eyes. Nightfall came, and Alice retired to Jasper and Bella's room. Rose finally had a chance to talk to me._

"_Oh, Emmett. I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I love her, too. She's become so close to my heart. She'll be back. Like the poem says…only fifty-three days before we see her again."_

"_Exactly, Rose! Fifty-three fucking days! That…that…that PRICK! He took her away! He took my life away!" I yelled._

_Rose just held me. "You're right," she whispered. "He did, but you _will_ see her again. She's going to be in Forks when we get home."_

_I nodded, and we began to cry again well into the night. It was 3am before we fell asleep, holding each other on my bed._

I woke up once again to Rose holding onto me, still deep in her sleep. She slept in my room ever since Bella left. I picked up my cell phone off the nightstand and maneuvered through the menus until I found what I was looking for.

The calendar.

I counted the days until we arrived home, and I found that I had been wasting away a lot longer that I could've imagined. We were heading back to Forks the next day. I began laughing hysterically, waking up Rose in the process.

"What the hell, Em?" she asked groggily.

"We're heading back home tomorrow!" I exclaimed.

She was suddenly awake and happy as well, holding me in a tight embrace before going to the intercom system on the boat and screaming it through the speakers.

Everyone was pissed at her for ruining there sleep, but extremely excited about the idea of home. They had all been suffering.

Alice because her boyfriend, her love, had left her without warning.

Rose because Bella had become like a sister to her, and she felt my pain.

And Edward because Rose, Alice, and I were in so much pain.

Edward couldn't even begin to feel what we were feeling, for he was not close to Bella and was not fond of Jasper since he found out that he yelled at Bella for cutting herself.

I couldn't wait to go home, to see my Bella, but I would have to.

Even though I was positive I would see the one who held my heart tomorrow, I could not help the feeling that I was completely dead without her.

**Chapter 9, Part 2: Dead Without Him**

_**Bella's POV**_

"Jasper!" I yelled, as he threw me into the Pacific Ocean surrounding Hawaii while I was fully clothed.

"Sorry, sis. You need to live a little bit," he said, as if that explained why he did it.

"I'll show you how to live a little bit," I growled, as I stalked out of the water and up in front of him.

"Now, kids…Don't fight. We're supposed to be having a good time," Charlie declared.

"I was having a good time back on the boat," I mumbled to myself.

"Yeah, then you went and cut your wrists again," Jasper muttered.

"What?!" Charlie exclaimed. "You've been cutting yourself?!" I flinched away from his voice. "When did this start? Oh, Bells…I'm so sorry. You can tell me anything…" he said, softer now.

"When did you start caring? Oh, that's right. When I was dumped on your doorstep," I retorted, walking away and up to our beachfront hotel.

I ran to our suite and into my bedroom, locking the door behind me. I cried and cried for I don't know how long until I heard a knock on my door.

"Get the hell away from me," I hissed.

"I was just going to tell you that it's time to go. We're going back home," Charlie's voice came through the door.

"Be right out!"

My bags were already packed; I was ready a week ago. Even though we were right on the beach, I only went out every couple, preferring the indoors and Emmett a hell of a lot more.

Emmett…

Just as his name entered my mind, I realized that I had been a zombie since I left that yacht. Our love was endless, but without him near me, it felt like I had imagined it all. He was the only one who ever understood me, besides Rose, of course. But Emmett loved me with all of his heart, despite the cutting and the rape. Despite the broken girl I had become. He loved me, and I loved him, too.

We arrived at the airport not twenty minutes later, and I was hardly aware of the security checks and giving my ticket to the woman at the stand. I sat in my coach seat and thought only about Emmett and how John said I would never be worthy of another person's love again.

"_Hey, Bella. I want to show you something," John said, when I answered the door._

_I was afraid he'd hit me if I told him that I had too much to do, so I just nodded and said, "Sure."_

_We had been going out for seven months now. Everyday, he would hit me. Sometimes, he'd do more than that, but he always said he loved me, and me being the fool I was, I believed him. _

_We had been driving for about an hour, and I finally got the courage to ask, "Where are we going?"_

"_Oh, you'll see," he answered, with an evil smirk playing at his lips._

_We drove into the woods, and I thought that he was going to kill me. No, I _knew_ it. I was so fucking scared that I almost peed my pants from shaking too much. He stopped the car and got out, coming around to my side of his old Mustang._

_He tugged on my arm, hard enough to where I hit my head on the door, and said, "Get out, you stupid little bitch."_

_I complied, not wanting to make this worse than it could be. _

_I stood in the middle of the forest with my head down, and John was in front of me. He forced his lips onto mine and maneuvered his tongue into my mouth. I tried to pull away, but he just tangled his hand into my hair and began pulling at the scalp. I screamed into the kiss, and he pulled away._

"_No one will hear you, Bella. No one's going to save you…"_

_He unbuttoned my shirt and threw it to the ground. He proceeded to take off my jeans, leaving me in nothing but a bra and panties. He discarded his clothes quickly, standing before me naked._

"_Take off your bra, Bella," he commanded._

_I was scared, but I shook my head no. He ripped the bra from me and pulled my hair down, eliciting a scream from me. _

"_You will do as you're told, my pretty Bella." I nodded. "Take off your underwear." I did. "On your hands and knees."_

_Oh, god. I knew what was coming, so I tried to run. He grabbed me by the shoulders and threw me into a tree, and I felt my right arm crunch. I yelled for help as he held me down to the hard ground._

"_Please…John…Don't do this. I love you…" I said._

"_Shut up, you little whore," he replied, and I did._

_I kept struggling. I didn't want him. I didn't love him, but I said it all, knowing it wouldn't work. He positioned himself at my entrance._

_Tears were running down my face. "Please, don't…"_

_His only answer was thrusting into me, breaking my barrier and causing me to cry out. He pounded into me over and over, tearing my interior walls. He finally unloaded his seed into me and pulled out, laughing._

"_I always knew I'd get what I wanted from you…" he sighed._

_He put his clothes back on and went to retrieve something out of his car. He came back with a long, butcher knife. I couldn't bring myself to get up and run; I was too weak. He trailed the knife all over my body, barely letting it touch the skin. It made me internally beg for him to just kill me already._

"_Bella, Bella, Bella…Do you know why you're here?" he asked. I sat still on the ground. "Answer me!"_

_I flinched and said, "No."_

_He dug the knife into my right shoulder, hitting the bone underneath all of the skin. I screamed at the top of my lungs. _

"_You've been a terrible girlfriend, not giving me what I desired all these months. I had to forcefully take it from you. Isn't that sad?" he asked._

"_Yes, so sad…"_

_He then dug the knife into my left shoulder, once again making it all the way down to the bone. I tried to hold in my cries, and it came out as a quiet whimper. He sliced cuts all the way down my left and right arms, causing me to bleed, but not enough for me to die or black out. _

"_Why are you doing this?" I questioned. I shouldn't have._

"_Why am I doing this?! You should know!" He kicked me hard in the stomach, and I knew he broke something. "You've been hanging out with that Indian dude for the last few weeks, never having any time for me!" He dragged the knife along my left thigh._

"_Jacob's my friend…"_

"_And he's not me!" he yelled, slicing my right leg. He continued the cuts all the way down my legs. When he was done, he cut a long path along my hairline, causing me to almost pass out. He kicked me once again and said, "But you're not worthy of my love anymore. You're not worthy of anyone's love. You deserve to die. Everyone's going to hate you anyway." He stomped on my left leg, and I passed out, the breaking of the bone taking it's toll on my battered body._

_I woke up in a hospital. IVs were hooked up to me, and I had casts on my arm, my leg, and a brace around my middle._

"_Miss Swan! You're awake!" the doctor exclaimed. "You've been out for three days. Do you remember what happened?"_

"_Yes, very clearly," I answered._

_He left the room and came back with a detective. "Miss Swan? This is Detective Taylor. Could you explain it to him?"_

_I nodded, and the detective sat down. I explained the whole ordeal in detail, watching him as he felt my pain._

"_Miss Swan, what was his name?" he asked._

"_John Thomas…" I whispered, falling into a deep sleep._

I was knocked out of my reverie when the woman announced that we were landing. I smiled, knowing that I'd see Emmett the next day. God, I loved that brown haired, blue eyed, dimpled face boy. He was my life. When I left, I became dead inside. Yes, I was completely dead without him.

**A/N: Sorry for how long Bella's memory was, but I was explaining what happened.**


	10. First Day Back

**Chapter 10: First Day Back**

_**Emmett's POV**_

When I was getting ready for school, I wasn't thinking about how I was now a senior. I wasn't thinking about what I was going to where. I wasn't even thinking about the classes I was going to get, or the teachers I'd meet, or even the new coach we were getting for football.

I only thought of Bella Swan. I only saw Bella when I closed my eyes, when I'd fall asleep reading, when my mind drifted off in thought. I only imagined _my_ Bella.

I arrived at school early, hoping to see Bella there, but she wasn't. I walked to the guidance office to see if there was anyone special that had the same schedule as me.

"Mrs. Cope?"

"Yes, dear. Come right on in, Mr. Hale," she smiled.

"Isabella Swan wanted me to pick up her schedule for her." Okay, so it was a lie. Whatever.

"Actually, you just missed her. She came in here, got it, and left without saying a word. Her brother was with her and did all the talking. Is something wrong?" she asked.

I shook my head. "May I see her class list, please? It's important."

"It's not allowed, but I guess I can make an exception." She printed off Bella's schedule and handed it to me.

I muttered a "thanks" and began to read.

_Isabella Marie Swan_

_DOB: 8/13/1990_

_Period 1: Pre-Calculus…Mr. Bides_

_Period 2: English 12…Mrs. Connery_

_Period 3: Chemistry Honors…Mr. Price_

_Lunch_

_Period 4: Gym…Ms. Destill_

_Period 5: U.S. Government…Mr. Collins_

_Period 6: Study Hall…Mr. Ashton _

None of our periods were the same, except for Study Hall.

But all seniors took study hall last period, so they could go home early.

Then, it dawned on me.

Jasper did all the talking. I knew that Bella and I had signed up for the same classes and requested the same periods last year. That wasn't something she would want to change. But someone else did.

"Excuse me, but what did Jasper Swan say exactly?" I questioned.

"He wanted Bella transferred out of all of her original classes. He chose new periods for her."

"Thank you, Mrs. Cope. You were really helpful…"

I walked out and saw Bella and Jasper leaning against his Audi, arguing. I walked over and pushed him out of her face. They were mere inches away.

"What's going on?"

"Jasper feels as though he's in control of my life. Well, news flash, you're not!" Bella yelled.

Jasper grabbed her wrist gently, but as she tried to yank it away, his grip grew tighter. "Bella, stop. You're making a scene."

"Making a scene?! Is that all you're worried about?! Not the fact that your sister wants to be with someone you forbade?! Not the fact that she hates you for all your worth?! Which, hold on, let me guess…You're not worth fucking shit, you dick!" She was getting out of control. Angry tears weren't falling like they usually did. It was like she learned to control them. "And just in case you haven't noticed…I'm turning eighteen tomorrow. I'll be a legal adult and out of Charlie's house soon. You won't have to worry about me, just like you haven't for the past thirteen years. Now, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if I could have the circulation flowing into my hand again."

He didn't let go, just stared in disbelief, so I pushed him away, and he finally let go. I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her with me to the guidance office.

"Bella would like to request to have her old schedule back," I said, as kindly as possible with the anger running rampant through my body. I handed Mrs. Cope a fifty dollar bill, and she changed it. "Thank you."

We left and headed towards our first period together - U.S. Government.

We still had ten minutes before the bell, so we stopped at our combined locker. "Bella, are you…are you okay with seeing me again?" She nodded. "Are you mad at me?" She shook her head no. "Bella, talk to me." She looked down, tears threatening to fall. "What's wrong? You can tell me anything…"

"I remember too clearly," she whispered.

My brows furrowed in confusion. "Remember what?"

"The rape, the beating, John. Especially John. Almost as if it had all happened yesterday, and seeing you again puts everything back in perspective. I'm really not worthy of your love, Emmett."

"You're worthy of anything I give to you, Bella. You know that."

"Do I?" she sighed. "Emmett, I don't think we should keep seeing each other. The past two months have been horrible, but I think that if I continue to put faith in this relationship and it ends, that I would be immensely more devastated. I still want to be your friend."

Was she seriously saying this? Was she just joking?

"Is this a joke?" I asked.

"I wouldn't joke about something like this, Em. I really, truly love you, but it's not going to work out. Not now." Then, she turned on her heel and walked into Mr. Collins' classroom seconds before the bell rang.

I stood there, not knowing what to do, what to say.

She was my life, had been for the past year and three months. When I first saw her in the distressed state she was in, I knew she was the one for me. I knew that I could connect to her like no one else because she, too, felt pain like I had.

So, I ran. Down the hall and out the front double doors. I didn't stop when I reached my car, I kept running. I ran along the sidewalk, across the streets. I ran for miles, for hours, and due to my football training of four years, I had the endurance to do so. I kept running in a straight line, and by nightfall, I was just inside Alaska's borders and exhausted. I stayed at a hotel that night.

In fact, I skipped school and stayed in that hotel for a week.

Carlisle called and left a voicemail saying that he told the school I had mono and understood if I needed a break. Esme was in the background begging me to come home.

Alice gave me a call and said that I needed to get my ass in gear. She said she's nobody's number one without me around. She missed me, but I ignored her ring tone, and I just listened to her message at a later time.

Edward called saying that I shouldn't risk my future like this, to come home, but I let that go to voicemail also.

Rose called, but I didn't even answer that one. She yelled into the phone, asking why I didn't think of taking her with me. And then, she said, quieter, that she drove my car home and washed it for me.

Then, my one and only called - Bella. Seventeen times. She said she was sorry, but she wasn't going to take back what she said. We couldn't be together. She told me that my family was worried, she was scared for me, and that Jasper was sad that I left, but was happier when she told him why - she dumped me.

Jasper called, too, apologizing for his behavior. He said he was just trying to protect his baby sister and didn't want her to be in a vulnerable position, and that it was stupid to think his best friend could or would ever do that to Bella, and I could understand that. He was the one person I called back.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hey, Jazz. It's me. I'm sorry. I should've stayed away from Bella, like you told me, from the start."

"Man, it's okay. I forgive you if you forgive me. I was a total ass. Please come home. If not for me, if not for Bella, then for Rose and Esme. You don't know what it's doing to them…"

"I'll think about it," I said, then hung up.

He tried calling back, but to no avail. I did not answer.

I stayed in Alaska for another week, then I finally made my decision.

I was going back home, back to school.

And I was going to completely and utterly ignore Bella Swan for the rest of the year.


	11. Forgiving and Forgetting

**Chapter 11: Forgiving and Forgetting**

_**Bella's POV**_

Emmett came home. Everyone was excited and happy.

Everyone except me.

I was glad that his family got him back, but now, I would have to face one of my biggest fears - being just friends with Emmett Hale.

I went to give him a hug when he returned, but he just stood there stiffly, and when I let go, he walked away.

We were lab partners in Chemistry Honors, but he requested to move, and I got stuck with a new guy.

"Hi. I'm Shane Winston," he said politely.

I looked at him and actually smiled a real smile. "I'm Bella Swan. It's nice to have someone new. I just got here last year. I came after winter break."

"Where did you come from?" he asked.

"Phoenix, Arizona. It's nothing compared to here. I'm guessing you're from Europe…?" I could tell by his amazing and hot accent.

"Yes. Britain actually. You don't have anything against that do you?" he questioned, mocking irritation.

I laughed. "Not unless you have anything against Arizonans."

"Not one thing, I'm happy to say." He grinned, and so did I, an automatic reflex to his bright personality.

"Um…would you like to come over tonight and hang out? I broke up with my boyfriend two weeks ago, and it'd be nice to have someone to socialize with. I'm…not friends with anyone else here. It's a long story…"

"I would love to. Shall I bring a movie?" He sounded genuinely excited.

"That would be nice."

I gave him my address, and then, class started. It went by fairly quickly, with me taking every chance I could get to look at Emmett. I don't know why I kept torturing myself. I couldn't be with him, or anybody else for that matter, without realizing that John was right, that Jasper was right.

The day passed slower than Chemistry did - I didn't have the British hottie, Shane Winston, sitting right next to me.

I cleaned the house, meaning to get one for myself now that I was eighteen, and realized it was too cramped. We would be in my room, and it wasn't Emmett's mansion. God, I missed him.

_No, Bella. You don't need him. Stop thinking about him._

The doorbell rang, pulling me out of my self-scolding. I smiled when I opened the door. "Hey, Shane. Come on in."

"Thank you. I didn't know what kinds of movies you liked, so I got you one of every genre. Horror, romance, comedy…the works." He grinned widely, showing his perfectly white teeth.

I took him to the kitchen with me, getting us popcorn, then we went upstairs.

"Sorry. My room is small…"

"It's okay. I love it. It's simple."

We sat down on my bed, and I put a random movie into the DVD player Jasper set up for me. The title flashed upon the screen, and I unconsciously smiled.

"You like _Romeo and Juliet_?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes. I believe you're a fool if you don't like a good love story," he explained.

"I'm no fool. This is my favorite movie…" Okay, it was now moved down to second place. _Dawn of the Dead _occupied space number one.

We watched the movie in silence, occasionally looking at each other. We were sitting against my headboard, and he had his arm around me. It felt natural for it to be there, like Emmett's had.

Tears began to form, and Shane paused the movie, even though it was almost over. "Are you okay, Bella?"

"I'm fine. I just thought about something, and it triggered the water works. Sorry. If you're uncomfortable-"

He cut me off. "I'm perfectly content. I want to help. You can trust me if there's something you want to talk about."

I smiled sadly and nodded. "There is. It's really personal, though, and really long."

He glanced at his cell phone. "Well, we have plenty of time, and I won't tell a soul."

So, I explained the rape and beating in detail. I never told anyone the specifics of what he did, except the detective, and only said it was a haze. But I felt like I could trust Shane Winston. I knew I could.

"Oh, Bella. Have you not told anyone?" he whispered.

"Everyone knows, but you're the only other person besides that detective guy that I told in such grave detail. I'm sorry if I disgusted you. You can leave if you want…" I whispered.

"Stop saying that, Bella. I want to be your friend."

"I need one of those…"

He smiled. "So do I."

We talked and hanged out for a little while longer. He left at a quarter till ten, and I found myself elated to have a real friend, not one that felt obligated to be one because I was dating Emmett.

-----------------------

"Hey, Juliet!" Shane called from three cars down from mine.

He quickly adopted that as my nickname after we watched the movie that one night weeks ago. Eight weeks ago actually - two months.

He walked up and hugged me tight. "Hello to you, too, Romeo."

We smiled at each other and went into the school, then into Chemistry. I glanced over at Emmett, and he locked eyes with mine. At first, the gaze was loving and full of longing, but it quickly hardened into an expression full of regret and disgust. He looked away and began talking to Marie, a girl from Texas with bleach blonde hair. I overheard their conversation.

"Well, I'm a new cheerleader here. They're thinkin' 'bout makin' me captain," Marie said, her southern accent strong.

"I guess we could always go out sometime. It's only right for the star quarterback and head cheerleader to have a date," he grinned.

"What time are ya gonna pick me up?"

"How's seven tonight? It's Friday, and we can do anything you want…" he growled in a sexy voice. _My sexy voice._

Then, Marie whispered, "Oh, there's so many thangs I wanna do with you, darlin'."

She kissed him passionately for just a moment and began heading to her seat behind Shane and me.

"Stupid, southern bitch," I mumbled under my breath.

"Excuse me?" she asked, stopping in front of our lab table.

For some reason, I was feeling braver than usual. "Oh, I think you heard me perfectly fine, or should I repeat it slower for you? The bleach might be getting to your brain."

"Okay, fucktard. You have no right to say that about me."

"Actually, I do. It's in the Constitution. But you probably don't know what that is, do you?"

"Yes, I do! You're just jealous because I can get any guy I want, including Emmett Hale."

"Oh, I'm not jealous, sweetie. I _had_ Emmett Hale for a year and three months. _I _let _him_ go. Or did he not tell you the story about he dated the freak of the school?" I was standing up, now, our noses almost touching, but I backed off to look at Emmett.

His face had shock and pain written all over it. He picked up his books and left the class room with tears in his eyes.

"Emmett!" I called, running after him.

"What do you want, Isabella? To embarrass me in front of my friends? Humiliate me? Well, mission accomplished." He kept walking down the hall until he got to the locker we used to share. It was my locker now. He ran his hands over the front, then opened the lock. The picture I framed for him was still there, but it was frameless, now. "You kept it?"

"Yeah. I love you, Emmett, really. We just can't be together right now. It hurts too much. Please just let us be friends at least."

"Whatever, Bella. I can't be your friend because it makes me want to break down and cry." He was fighting back tears, then he hit the locker with his fist. "Damn it, Bella! I'm in love with you! I want to be with you forever and always, but that fucking John guy is determining your life's path! Do you realize that?! Do you fucking realize that, Isabella?! He's making you think stupid shit that you shouldn't be thinking, and he's not even in this fucking state! He's in the Phoenix prison hours away! I know because I checked last night! They gave him life without parole because he was eighteen!" I began crying, so he softened his voice. "I care about you, and John's not here. He won't ever be here with you again. He's gone, locked away, and I want you to let me love you."

"I can't, Em…I want to, but-"

"Don't worry about it, Bells. Just don't. I'm not going to bother you again, and I don't want you bothering me. From now on, we're not 'Bella and Emmett: Most Loving Couple' like from the yearbooks last year, we're 'Bella: Loner' and 'Emmett: Quarterback'. Got it?"

"But why?"

"Because I don't want to keep falling in love with you and only remain your friend. If we go our separate ways, we both might have a chance of forgiving and forgetting. Forgiving each other for even allowing ourselves to be together for so long, and forgetting about everything we ever had." He kiss**ed my forehead and began walking down the hall.**


	12. Karaoke Night, Part 1 & 2

**Chapter 12, Part 1: Karaoke Night**

**A/N: There won't be a lemon in this, but there will be sexual themes. Review!**

_**Bella's POV**_

Those were the last words I heard from Emmett Hale.

It'd been six more months. School would be out in four weeks, and the seniors were having a karaoke night instead of prom. The school took a vote, but it barely won.

I was getting dressed up when Shane knocked on the door to pick me up. I opened it, not realizing that I was wearing only a pair of short shorts and a tank top. I immediately went to cover myself, but Shane's hands stopped me.

"Don't. You're beautiful, no matter what," he whispered.

I blushed. "Let's go upstairs. I have to finish getting ready."

We headed to my room, and once we were inside, I pulled out a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt.

"Really, Bella? It's spring, and you're still wearing fall clothing. Let me pick out something for you…"

He went to my closet and pulled out hangers and hangers of clothes - the clothes I wore before everything that happened. He lifted a black, strapless, sequin-covered dress out; it was about four or five inches above the knee.

"Wear this," he commanded softly.

"It's so…showy. What if people find out what I used to do? What if they notice the scars from the beating?" I asked.

"They won't. Please just do it for me…"

I grabbed the dress out of his hands. "Fine. Turn around."

He did as he was told, and I took off my tank and shorts. I slid the dress on over my naked chest and underwear. I just stared down at the sparkly attire, remembering the last time I wore it.

_It was tenth grade, first dance of the school year. John was taking me, and I bought this dress for the event. Before we left, he told me he loved me for the first time. I smiled and said the same thing. We kissed, his lips soft against mine. That was the old John, though, before things went downhill in January._

I remembered that the date was November 9th, and John's birthday was in exactly one month. I was so surprised that I still had the details memorized.

When I finally looked up, Shane was standing in front of me. "Are you okay, Bella?"

"Yes. Sorry. The last time I wore this dress was…John and I were just on good terms is all." I looked down, fidgeting with my hands.

He placed his hand upon my cheek and lifted my face back up. "Bella, you're so amazing. For these last eight months, you've been the highlight of my day, everyday. This isn't easy for me to say, but…I think I've fallen for you…" he whispered.

I looked deep into his eyes. "Shane, you've saved me from myself, and I thank you for that, but if we do try this out, it's going to be a little hard for me at first."

"I'm willing to try…"

Then, I thought of Emmett.

What would he say?

Oh, yeah. That's right. He'd say the same thing he said six months ago…

_If we go our separate ways, we both might have a chance of forgiving and forgetting. Forgiving each other for even allowing ourselves to be together for so long, and forgetting about everything we ever had._

He wanted to be able to forget. And so did I.

"Okay, Shane. I am, too." I smiled widely, then kissed him sweetly, the kind of kiss John gave me the first time, the kind that Emmett's lips mimicked.

I slipped on a pair of three-inch, black, strappy heels - a death wish that I was talked into by Shane - and grabbed his hand. I had already done my hair and makeup before he even got there, so we got into his beautiful, black Mercedes. It reminded me of Carlisle's car - Emmett's dad.

We headed to the huge stage they set up in the football field, and I was surprised to see a big crowd. We made our way to the front to pick out my song. Shane wasn't going to sing, but he tried to talk me into it, and like always, it worked.

The first few people who sang were really good, with the exception of one guy who seemed like he was slightly drunk. After about twenty more minutes of songs, Emmett got on stage. The song he sang took my breath away. I knew that song by heart. It was Boys Like Girls' _Up Against the Wall._

_It's over, look out below_

_I'm wasted_

_I still taste it _

_Yeah, it's so hard to let go_

_So breathe in, now_

_And breathe it out_

_The forecast_

_A car crash_

_It's looking like another breakdown, rebound_

_This could be my last goodbye_

_You cross your heart_

_I hope to die_

_And I can't deny your eyes_

_You know I try to read between the lines_

_I saw a warning sign_

_And then, you threw me up against the wall_

_Who said that "It's better to have loved and lost?"_

_I wish that I had never loved at all_

_No rewinds, no second times_

_And I won't break_

_I won't waste everything you left behind_

_So don't follow_

_Just let it go_

_The weather's been better_

_Don't let it be another breakdown, rebound_

_This could be my last goodbye_

_You cross your heart_

_I hope to die_

_And I can't deny your eyes_

_You know I try to read between the lines_

_I saw a warning sign_

_And then, you threw me up against the wall_

_Who said that "It's better to have loved and lost?"_

_I wish that I had never loved at all_

_All those nights you spent sitting nowhere_

_Out there on your own_

_All the nights I waited by the phone_

_When you were going in alone_

_And all your different faces and all your different ways_

_Are making everything a mess_

_And all I'm saying is that_

_All your different places and all the complications_

_Led to this_

_And I can't deny your eyes_

_You know I try to read between the lines_

_I saw a warning sign_

_And then, you threw me up against the wall_

_Who said that "It's better to have loved and lost?"_

_I wish that I had never loved_

_And I can't deny your eyes_

_You know I try to read between the lines_

_I saw a warning sign_

_And then, you threw me up against the wall_

_Who said that "It's better to have loved and lost?"_

_I wish that I had never loved at all_

He got off the stage, and I realized that I was crying. Shane looked at me and began to wipe away the tears quickly.

"Don't cry. It's okay. I'll help make everything okay," he cooed into my ear as he held me close.

About ten minutes later, my face was made up again, and I was on the stage about to sing. I was going to sing a song for Emmett, but decided against it. There was another song that called out to me - Plain White T's' _Bruises._ I didn't care if it was a boy band because I was sticking to my decision. I closed my eyes as the music began.

_She tries to hide the bruises_

_She says it wasn't him_

_But sometimes he loses his temper_

_And again, he'll come home and look for a fight_

_But she tells herself it's alright_

_She hopes someday it's alright_

_She doesn't tell anybody, but everyone can tell_

_That there's something she hiding_

_She hasn't been herself_

_But she still goes out every night_

_She tells herself it's alright_

_She hopes someday it's alright_

_It's alright_

_It's alright_

_It's alright_

_She has to make excuses for all of this abuse_

_And it's sad_

_The truth is she's scared of what he'll do_

_If she'd ever walk out of his life_

_So she tells herself it's alright_

_She hopes someday it's alright_

_It's alright_

_It's alright_

_It's alright_

_It's alright_

_It's alright_

_She sits, and she waits_

_It's not getting any better_

_It's never too late_

_But she knows it's now or never_

_She'll get up the strength to stand up to him tonight_

'_Cause she knows that it's alright_

_It's alright_

_She says today she's leaving_

_She says she's had enough_

_Sick of being mistreated_

_She knows that isn't love_

_So tonight, she's saying goodbye_

_And she tells herself it's alright_

_Yeah, she knows she's gonna make it tonight_

_Yeah, she's finally going on with her life_

_And she knows that it's alright_

_It's alright_

_It's alright_

_It's alright_

_It's alright_

_It's alright_

_It's alright_

_She sits, and she waits_

_It's not getting any better_

_It's never too late_

_But she knows it's now or never_

_She'll get up the strength to stand up to him tonight_

'_Cause she knows that it's alright_

I finished, and everyone was clapping. I asked them politely to quiet down, and they did.

"Thank you, everyone. That song was inspirational to me. I've been living here in Forks for about a year and a half, and I don't think any of you know who I really am, so I'm going to tell you all a bit about myself. I'm sure you've heard most of the rumors anyway. My name is Bella Swan. I'm eighteen, and I lived in Phoenix, Arizona for most of my life. Right now, I live with my father, Charlie Swan, and my brother, Jasper. The reason I'm here is because the summer before I came here, I was raped and almost beaten to death." I heard the whole audience gasp. "I'm fine, now, and the guy is locked up in the Phoenix prison. Then, over Christmas break, my mom and step dad were in a car accident. They were killed. It devastated me, and I had to move in with my dad, whom I hadn't seen in over twelve years, and my brother, whom only visited every other summer. Charlie is a good dad, though. He keeps to himself, and that's all I could ask for, because I know he still loves me. And Jasper is…Well, we fight a lot. Sibling rivalry, I guess you could say, or just plain old hatred towards each other sometimes. We have our differences, but I still love him." _Even if he doesn't love me. _"So that's why I'm not outgoing or adventurous or crazy like everyone else. But now, there's another reason. When I first came here, Emmett Hale had been nothing but nice to me, and I treated him badly, not wanting to have any friends. But then, the more I saw him, the more I fell for him. He was like sunshine on a cloudy day, as cliché as that sounds, and he brightened my soul and my heart. Emmett, if you're still here, I love you so much, and I'm sorry. I have been for six, no eight months. I understand that you wanted to forget about me if you couldn't have me just yet, but face it, neither one of us has forgotten anything that went on between us. Emmett, I want you to know that I'm trying to move on for you. I'm trying to be a good person and leave you alone like you asked, and as of today, I started dating Shane Winston. I love him, too, Emmett, but I will always have a huge place in my heart for my Teddy Bear. Thank you all for listening, and thank you, Emmett, for being there for me when I needed you most and letting me go when it was too hard for us both. You taught me a valuable lesson."

I set the microphone down and began running off the stage, crying. I should've known better because I fell down the side steps, but luckily, Shane was there to catch me. I buried my face into his chest and sobbed. He took us to his car and set me in the passenger seat. He got in on the other side and drove us to his house. I'd been there a thousand times during the school year, and the beauty of it never got old. It was similar to Emmett's, but much more elegant. Emmett's home looked more sophisticated, while Shane's was very detailed with old Victorian designs. He took us up to his room.

"I'm sorry," I whispered when I finally calmed down.

"Don't be. I knew you still loved him, so it wasn't a surprise, but you saying that you loved me was." He smiled at me, his gaze filled with adoration.

"It shouldn't have been. I was pretty sure it was noticeable for the last couple of months…" I trailed off, slightly embarrassed by what I just confessed.

"Well, I love you, too."

He leaned his head down to kiss me with a question in his eyes. I nodded, and our lips met in the middle. This was a kiss like no other that I had ever had. This was a kiss that was supposed to make me forget. But I didn't care at this point. I _wanted_ to forget. Everything. I threw my all into the kiss and licked his lower lip. He let me in, and our tongues slid against each other easily. I finally pulled away, gasping for air.

"I…love you…too," I panted.

He smiled, both at his affect on me and the fact that I said it back so easily. I only wished that the smile belonged to Emmett.

_Damn it, Bella! Stop! Emmett's gone! You have someone in front of you that loves you! Love him back like he deserves, like you deserve!_

I did love him. More than I should have, but not enough to erase the memory of Emmett's perfect, smiling face.

We ran our hands softly and affectionately over each others' bodies, memorizing every curve, every indentation. He ran his hands over my thighs, and I gasped. I had plenty of scars there.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, alarmed.

"No, my legs are just covered in scars…"

He laid me down on his bed and hovered over me. He kissed me quickly, then moved down my body, his gaze landing on my upper legs. He traced my scars with his forefinger, and I grinned at how gentle he was. He kissed every mark, every memory of that day in the woods. He ran his hands all the way up to my sides, under my dress. He rubbed soothing circles there, and I sighed. He was making me soak my panties at the tender, loving gesture. I pulled him back to me.

"Either you have to stop touching me like that, or I'm going to have to seduce you in your own bedroom," I growled.

His eyes lit up. "I guess I won't stop, then."

He rested his hands on my hips beneath the fabric and kissed me passionately.

"Please, Shane…"

He hooked his fingers in my underwear and pulled them down. I kicked them off when they reached my feet.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, we just started dating today, but I've been wanting to be right here with you for the past three months at least."

"Same here. But I know you love me, and I love you. That's all that matters."

"Okay," he grinned.

He slid off his jeans and took off his shirt. I sat up and shimmied the dress off of my form. He shook his boxers off and our clothes ended up landing in a pile beside his bed.

I kissed his sweet, soft lips gently. He deepened the kiss, and soon, I was back to laying down on his bed with Shane hovering over me, our lips still connected.

That night, we made love well into the morning. And he successfully completed his mission.

He made me forget.

------------------------------------

**Chapter 12, Part 2: Karaoke Night**

_**Emmett's POV**_

I haven't spoken to Bella in six months.

I thought I was doing the right thing by abiding by the rules I laid down for us both, but god, I missed her. I missed her white smile, her chocolate eyes, her mahogany hair, her loving gazes. She made me happy when I was down, which was a miracle. My sister used to be the only one capable of doing that, but not anymore.

God, I wished I had said anything to her besides telling her not to bother me anymore. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. I would do anything to keep her happy, keep us happy together.

But I ruined my chances of that.

I was miserable without her to say the least. I had become something that I despised - a guy who substituted sex for love. Marie and I had been dating for five months, and we'd fuck every time we saw each other, every time it was possible to do it.

Don't get me wrong, I loved Marie Loughton, but it wasn't like with Bella and me. Marie and I were kind of expected to be going out, but even if we weren't and I had never met Bella, I think we would still have been together. The way she kisses me is urgent, like it's the last time we'll see each other, but loving and slow, as if contradicting her own thoughts. When she looks me in the eyes, which is quite often, I can see the compassion she has for me, the adoration, and I'm sure my gaze mimics hers, although mine is more hollow, now. I couldn't see myself spending the rest of my life with her, but we could probably last a few years.

Well, enough about my current girlfriend and back to my former one.

Like I said, I missed her, and I was so desperate that I would do anything to get her back, including singing in front of the entire senior class to get my point across.

I got to the football field a little late, and Andrew Victor said there had only been about ten minutes of songs. I went up to the D.J. and gave him my name and song. Twenty minutes later, I was singing _Up Against the Wall._ Everyone knew I was singing it for Bella, despite the fact that I kept glancing at her every few seconds. I finished my song, and as soon as I did, I left with Marie.

We fucked all night long, for her parents were gone for the weekend.

Bella apologized to Marie, and Marie returned the favor. They were on friendly terms, and I'm sure they'd be very close if it wasn't for me.

But at that moment, while I was screwing my blonde girlfriend, I was riveted by the fact I was thinking that.

Why did it matter to me if they could be friends or not?

I knew…Because I wanted Bella to have as many friends as possible. Bella, on the other hand, had other ideas and only talked to that British guy, Shane Winston.

I felt terrible for not talking to Bella for the last twenty-four weeks, and even more terrible that I told her to leave me alone for good. The truth is I didn't want her to leave me alone. I wanted her to beg me to stay, to tell me that she really did love me and that she would be with me. But as I realized what I had wished for, I also realized how much of a dick I was being.

Why make Bella choose when she was so clearly not ready?

I could've been her friend, but I chose not to be.

I was pulled out of my reverie as Marie screamed with her umpteenth orgasm that night. I shot my load into her, and we both fell asleep in each others' embrace.

The last thought I had before I went to sleep was what Bella had thought of my voice, no matter how juvenile the thought may seem…


	13. Graduation

**Chapter 13: Graduation**

_**Emmett's POV**_

Graduation was finally here.

Well, it would be in two days. We were in the auditorium for the dress rehearsal. I saw Bella and Shane talking, waiting for Ms. Martin to tell us to line up. I stood there, watching them as if I were a stalker.

I felt two arms wrap around my waist and looked down, smiling. "Hey, baby. Are you ready to graduate?"

"Well, I wasn't at first, but now that we're goin' to the same college, I think I'll be just fine," Marie answered in that beautiful, southern accent.

When she said this, I suddenly realized that we were both going to UCLA. I was going for football, receiving a full scholarship, not that I needed it. Marie wanted to major in Theater, Film, and Television. She would be amazing in any of them, but she wanted to have her own T.V. show.

I suddenly wondered where Bella and Shane would be going. I told Marie to come with me and headed over to them. "Hey, guys."

Bella cocked an eyebrow at me. "Hi, Marie. Emmett, what brings you over here?"

Her calm attitude, which I'm sure was a façade, broke my act, and I began to stutter. "I…um…was just wondering what…uh…college you guys were g-going to."

Shane smirked a little, but tried to hide it. He was a good guy whether I wanted to believe it or not.

She looked really excited. She almost squealed, saying, "Well, Shane, Edward, and I are all going to Dartmouth together! Shane can afford it, and so can Edward, but I got in on a full scholarship! Isn't that awesome?"

"That's great, Bella. I'm really happy for you." But I wasn't happy for me. I wanted to be able to come up and see her on break, but now, she's going to a school on the other side of the U.S.

"Emmett, can we go somewhere to talk for a minute?" she asked.

I nodded, and she kissed Shane on the cheek. I kissed Marie's forehead, and we went to a small hallway leading to the large room.

"Why did you have to come talk to me?" Bella was almost in tears.

"I wanted to know where you were going…"

"No, really, Emmett. I want to know the truth. We haven't spoken in seven months, and you just walk up to me and start acting like we're closer than ever. I'm not going to play into that shit. I mean, even after I told the entire school that I was still in love with you, you didn't come up on stage or wave or say a single word to me in the halls. I was devastated, but luckily, my boyfriend was there to fix the destruction." Now, she was crying.

I pulled her into my chest. "What are you talking about?"

"The karaoke night…"

"Oh, Bella…I left right after I sang that song for you. It was a sad song, but it explains how I feel. If I had never fallen in love with you, we wouldn't be in so much pain."

"I like pain," Bella whispered.

"Why?" I asked incredulously.

"Pain brought me to Forks, to you. Pain led the way to your heart, and I love you for sharing my pain with me, even if that sounds really odd. Emmett, pain doesn't matter to me anymore, not when I have you."

I leaned down and kissed her lovingly until we had to breathe. I couldn't resist.

"And pain just made me kiss you again," I smiled.

So did she. "I love you, Em…"

"I love you, too, Bellaboo."

She giggled, but her face went back to be anguished as she said, "Too bad it won't last…"

Then, she walked away. We had to line up anyway.

Adam Levowsky was the only person who stood behind Marie and me, and I could hear her talking animatedly to Sarah Matthews.

"Miss Loughton! Stop talking to Miss Matthews, and pay attention for once!" Ms. Martin yelled.

"Yes, ma'am. Would you like me to bring you some water while I'm at it?" she asked sarcastically.

The guidance counselor just smiled back innocently. "Why, that would be lovely. We'll wait until you return to begin." She handed Marie a cup.

Marie took it, jaw dropped open. We all laughed, and she just huffed away to retrieve the beverage. She returned only a couple of minutes later looking pissed, so I gave her a kiss in front of everyone, then went back to my spot.

She smiled. I smiled. Bella frowned.

If it would make things better, I would dump Marie right now, but I loved her, and Bella and I both knew she refused to let me into her life. I don't even know the reason as of why. I doubt she does, either.

We finished the dress rehearsal, and it went smoothly. Two days later, it was for real.

Bella was deemed valedictorian, barely beating me. When she gave her speech, she looked radiant and spoke perfectly. I imagined her to be the perfect angel.

They introduced her, then she began. "Hello, fellow graduating students. It is such an honor to receive this award, but there are many other people who deserve it more than I do. For instance, Emmett Hale. He's the star quarterback, makes perfect grades, and has a girlfriend. He balances everything very well. I, on the other hand, devoted my senior year to making good grades. I really am grateful to have this, but Emmett, would you please come retrieve what is rightfully yours?"

I walked up there and whispered, "Bella, don't do this."

She mouthed a "sorry" to me and continued. "Emmett Hale, you deserve to be the valedictorian." Then, lower, I swear I heard her say, "And you deserve my love. But you already have that."

I took from her shaking hands, our fingers brushing. An electric shock went through me, and I was positive she felt it, too.

"Well, as you all know, I'm Emmett Hale. I will gladly accept the award, but only because it is Isabella Swan giving it to me. You see, I love this woman. She is amazing, wonderful, beautiful, and incredibly sweet. I have one word to sum all of that up, and it's definitely not valedictorian. It's perfect. Bella Swan is the most perfect girl I have ever met, and I would love to be in her life, to be her only one. But I'm not, so I'm stuck with Marie Loughton," I said the last sentence with humor, and everyone laughed, except for Marie. "You know I'm kidding. I love you, babe. And I want Shane Winston to know that he is a very lucky guy. He has the smartest, hottest girl in school. Beauty and brains, I guess you could say. And I don't want anyone to get mad at me when I do this…" I kissed her.

She was taken by surprise, but ended up kissing me back, throwing her arms around my neck. She pulled me close, and my body was flush against hers. I wrapped my arms around her waist. We finally pulled away when someone yelled, "Get a room!"

I smiled down at Bella. "I love you. And I'll miss you. I guess I'll see you in ten years. High school reunion, okay?"

She began to cry silently on the stage. "Emmett, I love you so much. I'm going to miss you even more. A school year I can handle, but _ten years_? Are you kidding me?" She held onto me tighter.

"I'm going to UCLA, and you're going to Dartmouth. Bella, I'm sorry. It would be hard to visit you, but I…I can try…" My voice began to break with sobs.

"You can't just say you love me, and then leave for ten years. Come with me! Please…You can afford it!" The look in her eyes was hopeful.

"UCLA has one of the best football teams. Everyone wants to go there, and I actually got in. Bella, I want you to have fun in New Hampshire. Have fun with Eddie and Shane."

"I'm not going…" she trailed off.

The whole audience gasped. For a moment, I forgot we weren't alone. I forgot that Shane was out there, that _Marie_ was out there. But right now, I didn't care.

"Yeah, that's right, Dad! I figured I'd disappoint you once again!" she exclaimed, then begun to run offstage. I grabbed her arm in time.

"No, you're not, Isabella! You're going to that college!"

"Oh, you are so mistaken!"

"You'll go because you love me. You'll go because you know that's what's best, what I want for you. I'm going to miss you terribly, but you got into an Ivy League school. Do you know what some of these people would do for that? Killing a person is probably only number ten on the list." She giggled slightly. "So will you go, Bells? For me?"

"I'll think about it. I mean, we still have three months until I have to think about it really. I can spend time with you for these next few weeks." She smiled brightly.

My expression was distraught. "Bella…" I placed a hand on her cheek. "Oh, Bella, I'm leaving next week. Marie and I got an apartment in L.A. not too far from the school. I'm so sorry."

"You're leaving? So soon?" I nodded. "Why? Why are you so ready to leave Forks behind, to leave me behind?" she asked hysterically.

I hated to say this, but maybe it was the only way she'd let me go, so I whispered, "If I recall correctly, you wouldn't let me into your life." The sad thing was now that she had, I had to begin living another one.

"And if I recall correctly, you told me never to bother you again, Emmett Hale! Damn it, why can't you just let me be?! I was doing fine until you came up to me and asked about colleges!" Then, in a voice only I could hear, she said, "I haven't cut myself since September. I figured the emotional pain of letting you go was hard enough…" She looked up into my eyes, tears highlighting her chocolate brown orbs and falling down her now pink cheeks, and whispered, "It was good knowing you, Emmett. Thanks for helping me out this past year and a half. I couldn't have done it with out you." She walked away and back to the podium. "So…as I was saying, Emmett Hale is the real valedictorian. I decline the offer, but thank you, Forks High! For everything! I love you all, and I know that we'll all be successful in our futures. Woo!" She screamed with false excitement, then threw her hat up into the air with everyone else's.

I just took mine off and let it hang from my index finger.

Just like everything else in my life, it was so close to the edge, yet not close enough to simply just…fall.

And sometimes, I wish it would.

Sometimes...I wish that _I_ could.


	14. Time to Leave

**Chapter 14: Time to Leave  
**

**A/N: Contains a lemon. Enjoy.**

_**Bella's POV**_

Damn it. He just had to talk to me, and the whole senior class heard our conversation.

The sad thing was that Marie and Shane both understood and were okay with it. They pretended to be, anyway, but I knew it was fake. Marie hated me, and Shane…Well, he didn't hate Emmett, he just didn't care for him very much.

DAMN IT.

Well, it doesn't matter now. He's leaving for college.

Shane, Edward, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and I were watching Emmett and Marie getting ready to depart for Los Angeles. Carlisle and Esme were there, too.

Shane was only there because I was. They weren't really good friends, just acquaintances.

Edward had been like his brother since Emmett and I stopped talking; he always tried to help with the pain.

Alice loved Emmett, not like a best friend or a brother or a lover. It was much more than that. They were meant to be near each other in a way none of us could understand. She loved Jasper, was deeply in love with Jasper, but you couldn't tear Ali and Em apart because they were so close. He felt the same way about her. I just recently discovered that Emmett's biological parents and Alice's parents had been best friends since they were in kindergarten. Alice and Emmett were even conceived and born in the same week as the other. Then, Al's mom and dad befriended Carlisle and Esme. That's probably the reason. But they weren't in love, and both cringed away when someone made a remark about it. They were simply bound by a special tie, and Alice couldn't stop sobbing.

Jasper and Emmett had become friends again. Jasper realized he was wrong, and they made a pact never to let a girl come between them again, even if it was a sister. They'd miss each other so much. It was like I had never even came home when they were together, or rather, nothing had transpired between Emmett and myself.

Rosalie was going into a depression because the only one who could ever protect her was leaving. He was her safe house, but now, that house was being torn away by what seemed like the winds of a tornado. She would never stop crying. Rose and Emmett had the kind of relationship I wish Jasper and I could have.

And then there was me. I was screaming inside for him to stay. I wanted nothing more than to have a repeat of our first night on the boat, before Jasper burst into the room during our love making. On the outside, however, I was cold and harsh, but sensitive to everything he did, every word he said. I could tell that he knew it was easier for me to not show affection, but he walked over to me anyway, knocking me out of my thoughts.

"Bella? I wanted to see something…" Emmett whispered.

I nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

He grabbed both of my arms gently and pushed up the sleeves of the maroon sweatshirt. Only he and I knew the significance of it; the hoodie was his. He examined my arms, and I knew immediately what he was searching for - new cuts.

"No new ones, Emmett. I'm not that girl anymore," I said, with a slight edge in my tone. "You, of all people, should know that."

"I guess you're right, but can you make me a promise?"

I shrugged. "Depends."

He sighed, "Promise not to cut your wrists while I'm away."

I nodded. How could I not resist his beautiful voice? "I won't. I promise."

"Whenever I see you, I'll check them. I've already memorized what your arms look like."

We both smiled at each other. "I don't want you to leave…I'll miss you…"

He leaned down and brushed his lips against mine, then whispered, "I know, but I have to. I'll miss you, too. I'll try my hardest to see you on breaks."

"Emmett, what did you mean before when you said ten years? You only have to go to college for four, and it's the same with me pretty much. Why ten years? Why not four?"

He looked into my eyes, searching them like he was looking for an answer. "I'll have football. I'll be too busy. I don't want to drag you around everywhere and not have anytime for you. Bella, this is what I want to do. I'm sorry." He looked at me, kissed my forehead, and walked away while mumbling, "I love you."

And to my surprise and his, I yelled, "I love you more, Teddy Bear!"

Everyone looked confused as I ran full speed to Shane's car. Shane took the hint and said goodbye to everyone, then drove me home. The drive back to my house was filled with uncomfortable silence, but finally, Shane broke it.

"Bella, do you love me?" he asked softly.

I looked over at him and smiled. "Yes. Very much so. Why?"

"Emmett…Do you love him more? I just…I need to know."

"No, I love him differently…" I trailed off. I did love Emmett differently, the way a soul mate loves their perfect match. Shane was just my love, but I couldn't see myself spending my life with him, just the next few years. Em was the opposite. I couldn't go without seeing him for years, and I wanted nothing more than to be with him, but for some reason, I couldn't let myself do that our senior year. Now, I wished I had, no matter how much I loved Shane.

"Okay. I just want you to know that I'm here for you, any which way you want me. I love you, baby."

"I love you, too."

He pulled up into the driveway, and he began to help me pack my things. We decided to leave this summer, too. We got a large, three bedroom, Victorian house near the college. We decided it was better than having three people share an apartment. We finished packing up all of my smaller things, leaving the furniture, and began to leave the house. I ran back upstairs because I forgot my money and saw a note sticking out of my purse. It had my name on the front in a script I knew all too well.

_Bella,_

_I love you with all of my heart, but right now is not a good time for me. I'm so sorry. Football is a big part of my life, and I love playing, so I can't just give up such an amazing opportunity. And neither can you. That's why I sent you to Dartmouth. That's why Rose sent Edward there, too. I'm really proud of you, Bella. I always have been. You have such incredible strength, and it amazes me how you can keep pushing forward even when you want to stop. So when I come back - whether it's four years, six years, ten years - I'm still going to love you just as much as I did before, and I can hope only hope that you can say the same. Good luck, Bella. With school, with Shane, with life and everything it throws at you. I don't know what I'll do without you here, but I have your face imprinted in my mind, so that whenever I close my eyes, it's you I see. I love you, and I miss you._

_Thinking of you every minute of every day of every week, month, year…_

_Emmett Hale_

I cried. I clutched the paper to my chest and let all my tears out. I went downstairs, still holding the paper but with a dry face, and got into the car. Shane didn't ask, and I didn't tell.

It figures that just when everything is starting to feel the slightest bit better, I fall in love with him all over again…

--------------------------------

**DECEMBER - The Thursday Before Christmas Break**

My classes were going great. So were Edward's medical studies and Shane's literary courses. Shane and I had some periods together, but not many. Edward and I had none at all.

I just took my mid-terms, and I was definitely in need of a break, so when Christmas was just around the corner, I felt awesome.

College took my mind off of Emmett, and when the school day was over, I was able to focus on Shane.

My cell phone rang, bringing me away from my thoughts. I knew who that ring tone belonged to.

_Gave me more lovin' from the very start. Piece me back together when I fall apart. Tell me things you never even tell your closest friends._

It was Plain White T's. _1,2,3,4 _was the song I chose for Emmett. The words were so true.

"Hello," I answered.

"Hey, Bells. You'll never believe this." He sounded excited.

"What, Em?"

"I'm coming to New Hampshire and spending the break there! Isn't that great?"

The words almost caught in my throat, I was so happy. "That's fantastic! We have an extra room in our house for you and Marie."

"Well…We, uh, kind of had a fight. She's going back to Texas to visit her family. They left Forks, too."

"Oh, Emmett, I'm so sorry. I know…you love her…" The last three syllables were so hard to say. "What was the fight over?"

"You…How I still love you. I thought she was okay with it, but when I told her I was planning to come up there, she got mad and started going off. So naturally, I defended you…"

"Emmett! You shouldn't have done that!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah. Well, I knew it wouldn't last long. I think we're finally done. I just can't wait to see you again! How are you and Shane doing? What about Edward? God, I have so many questions," he laughed.

I was sure you could hear the smile in my voice. "As do I. Shane and I are doing great. I have more time to focus on him, you know. But I still get this feeling that he's not the one. And I know who is…"

"Oh? Who's that?" he asked sarcastically.

"You didn't know?! It's Edward, silly!" I giggled.

"Whatever. So how's he doing?" he asked again.

"Great, actually. We've become close friends."

"How close? Close enough to where you watch him jack off or just do it for him? There was humor in his voice.

"Yeah, whatever. Just keep making fun of my extra-curricular activities." I rolled my eyes, laughing silently.

"Why, Miss Swan, was that an eye roll comment?" he asked mockingly.

I replied in the same incredulous tone, "Why, Mister Hale, however did you know?"

"I know my Bella well enough to distinguish that over the phone."

It was silent for a moment, then I spoke. "Well, I'll make sure that everything in the guest room is perfect for you…I love you, Em…"

"Thanks, and I love you, too, Bellaboo. More than you'll ever be able to comprehend…" Then, he hung up.

--------------------------------

Two days later, there was a knock on the door. I opened it and smiled shyly.

"Bella," Emmett sighed, smiling that dimpled smile of his.

"Emmett…"

I turned around to see if anyone was looking, but soon realized that Edward was "welcoming" Rose home, and Shane had volunteered to go grocery shopping. I stood on my tiptoes and brushed my nose against his. Then, I kissed him sweetly, but it soon turned passionate. I wound my arms around his neck, and he pushed me against the wall. The way our tongues slid against each other was now filled with lust and hunger.

"I missed you so much," he breathed against my lips when he pulled away.

"Me, too…" I whispered.

Our mouths collided again, as did our bodies. I couldn't stop the need I felt for him as I began to unbutton his shirt. He easily slid mine over my head, breaking the kiss for a mere second, and I pushed his from his shoulders. I unsnapped and unzipped his jeans, allowing them to pool to the floor. He stepped out of them, and we repeated the same process with mine.

"You sure?" he asked.

I just kissed him again and moaned into his mouth. I could feel him getting even harder as our lower bodies pressed even closer together. He took my panties off slowly, teasing me, and when he was finally done, I pulled him back up to me and kissed him once more. He undid my bra, and I let it fall off my arms.

"Even more beautiful than last time," he murmured. I was only slightly aware that I made love to Emmett once, and I was positive it wasn't going to be like that, now. I needed a good fuck.

"I could say the same thing about you…" I ran my fingers down his chest and along his cock. He trembled slightly under my touch. I smirked.

He wrapped my legs around his waist and slammed me into the wall again. I whimpered and could feel him at my entrance.

"Please," I begged, barely able to contain myself. He pushed in slightly. "Damn it, Emmett! Fuck me!"

And so he did. He slammed into me so hard that the picture frame hanging on the wall shook. I moaned. He slammed into me again, and again, and again. He picked me up, took me to the couch, and pulled out of me, positioning me to where I was bent over the armrest. He thrust into from behind, and it was pure bliss. Pure. Fucking. Bliss. We finally came together and fell into an entangled mess on the floor. I quickly got up and retrieved my clothing, realizing what I…we had just done. I got dressed as fast as I could, and so did Emmett. He could tell I was panicky, even more so when I heard the key jingle in the lock.

Shane was home, and the whole downstairs smelled like fucking sex.


	15. Reopening Old Wounds

**Chapter 15: Reopening Old Wounds**

_**Bella's POV**_

_Shane was home, and the whole downstairs smelled like fucking sex._

He walked in and stopped dead in his tracks. "What's going on in here?"

"Nothing, baby. Emmett just got here from the airport, and Rose and Edward are upstairs…reconnecting."

He nodded and went to the kitchen to set down the bags. I knew he could tell something was up, I just wondered when he'd say something. He came back in with an empty expression on his face.

"I guess you two were reconnecting as well." Shane ran a hand through his cute, messy hair.

"No, baby." I looked at Emmett and back to Shane. "I'm sorry, Shane. I'm so sorry. I just had this sudden urge, and…and…and I didn't think about the consequences," I cried. "I love you, Shaney." I ran over and threw my arms around his waist, whispering, "Don't blame Em. I shouldn't have. I'm the one who told him to do it."

Shane ran his fingers through my sex hair. "Baby, I don't blame you or Emmett. I know sometimes it gets the best of us. As long as it doesn't happen again, then everything's fine." He sounded calm, but I knew on the inside he was seething. He wanted to tear Emmett apart for what we had just done. He wanted to tear _me_ apart.

"I love you, Shane. So much. I'm so sorry…"

"It's okay. It's going to be alright," he cooed.

"Can I go show Emmett his room upstairs? I promise we won't do anything."

He smiled. "Of course, Bella."

I took the two smaller bags and began to walk upstairs. I saw Shane whisper something to Emmett, and he nodded. I finished walking upstairs and took his luggage to the second room on the left. Emmett was right behind me, and he set his stuff down at the edge of the bed. I did the same.

"I'm sorry, Bells…" he whispered.

I placed a hand on his cheek. "Don't be. I shouldn't have told you to do that, and I shouldn't have even kissed you. But I couldn't resist. I…I love you too much."

"Shane told me that he understood that I love you and that he can't change that, but he also said he doesn't really want me around you. Bella, I think I'm just going to hang out with Edward for the rest of the break. I'm not going to ruin anything for you and Shane." He began to leave the room.

"No!" I grabbed his arm and pulled him back a little. "You can't do this to me, Em. I love you, and I love Shane, and I can't help that. I just want to spend time with you. Please, don't let Shane get to you…"

"We both love you more than you know. I'm doing this for you, too. I can't…We can't be together when we're hundreds of miles away. I want you to be with Shane because he can provide for you, and love you, and give you anything you could possibly ask for."

"He can't give me you…" Then, I left the room with tears cascading down my face.

"Bella! Bells, come back!" I heard Emmett's protests even when I was downstairs, and I could hear him running down the steps.

"I'm going out for awhile, Shane. I'll be back later. Love you." I kissed Shane on the cheek and left the house.

I got into my new car - an Aston Martin V8 Vantage, courtesy of Shane and Edward - and squealed out of the drive. I sped down the highway to a small store out of the way. I ran inside and bought three boxes of…razors. I was lucky they even had any. I also bought a towel, some bandages, and disinfectant spray and wipes. I knew exactly what I needed. I got back into my car and laid down the towel in the passenger seat. I pushed the seat all the way back and stretched my legs out. I took a razor out of the box and ran my fingers over it, getting reacquainted with my long, lost friend. I remembered that I promised Emmett that I wouldn't cut my wrists, so I wasn't planning on it. I had other parts of my body I could do it on - my stomach and legs. I lifted up my shirt and barely ran the razor across my stomach. It vaguely reminded me of John. Then, I dug the razor into my skin and began to breathe heavily. I sliced through my flesh again and again, finding pleasure in the pain I was inflicting upon myself. When I was done, I wiped up the blood off of my mid-section and used the disinfectant wipes. It stung like hell, but it also felt good. I sprayed the healing spray on them and bandaged them up. I didn't even realize how many cuts I had until I finished. All in all, I had seven new, long gashes across my belly. I threw the towel away in a dumpster and got back in my car, feeling a lot better. I drove to a bar and stayed for awhile. I drank so much that I had to call a cab. He drove me back home, and I paid him when I got out, barely remembering to. I stumbled up the steps, and everyone was waiting for me when I finally got inside.

"H-hey, guys…" I mumbled.

"Bella, what happened to you? You've been gone since three, and now it's midnight," Edward stated. Even in my drunk state, I remembered that he was like a brother to me, now.

"I had sooo much fun! It was so fucking awesome!" I slurred, twirling around in little pirouettes.

"Bella, you're drunk…" Emmett said.

"Way to state the obvious, dipshit. Now, someone take me upstairs to my room!" I stamped my foot.

Shane took me upstairs, and I told him I felt sick. He ran me to the bathroom, held my hair back, and I threw up. I muttered a "sorry", and he laid me down in bed. I told him to leave me in my clothes, and he obliged. I was surprised I was at least a little coherent.

Then, I drifted off into a sleep. Well, it was more or less passing out after such a long day.

---------------------------

I woke up to a hangover. It was two in the afternoon, and I heard voices downstairs. Apparently, everyone else was up.

I went to my bathroom and took some aspirin. I walked down to the kitchen and saw that Emmett had made everyone lunch. There were hamburgers, fries, tater tots, and salads. It was amazing. Everyone was thanking him, and I did, too.

"Hey, Bells," they all chimed in unison, and I held my head. That was too loud.

"Sorry," Edward whispered.

"It's okay."

Emmett walked over and said quietly into my ear, "Can we go talk upstairs or out back?"

I nodded, and I led the way to the back patio. "What's up?"

He looked at my arms and smiled. "You didn't cut your arms…"

"No." _But I did cut somewhere else._ "I just went to some bar. Speaking of which, can you take me there so I can pick up my car?"

"Sure, Bella."

He took me to Manny's, and I went to retrieve my Aston Martin. I forgot about the supplies that I would have to hide, but I did my best to push them under the seat.

"Nice car," he commented.

I nodded. "Thanks…"

I got into the car and waited for him to get into his. When he did, I pulled out of the bar's parking lot at 80 miles per hour. When I got on the interstate, I topped that at 100. I couldn't slow down. I wanted to get away. From everything. I wanted to go back to Forks. I thought about it on the way home, but decided against running away. I had to finish college. I had to it for myself and prove to Emmett that I was stronger than he thought.

I saw Emmett's jeep in my rear view mirror and sighed. For some reason, I was eager for the holidays to be over. It was only two more days until Christmas and a week and a half until New Year's, then Emmett would be leaving. Just knowing that I wouldn't be able to spend time with Emmett made me wish he hadn't come at all. It hurt too much to see him and not see him at the same time.

I pulled my car all the way up into the three car garage and went inside. I ran to my room and blasted Pink's _Leave Me Alone _throughout the house. I didn't care if it bothered them.

_Go away_

_Give me a chance to miss you_

_Say goodbye_

_It'll make me wanna kiss you_

_I love you so much more when you're not here_

_Watchin' all the bad shows, drinking all of my beer_

_I don't believe Adam and Eve spent every goddamn day together_

_If you give me some room, there will be room enough for two_

_Tonight_

_Leave me alone, I'm lonely_

_Alone, I'm lonely_

_I'm tired_

_Leave me alone, I'm lonely_

_Alone, I'm lonely tonight_

_I don't wanna wake up with another_

_But I don't always wanna wake up with you either_

_No, you can't hop into my shower_

_All I ask is for one fuckin' hour_

_You taste so sweet_

_But I can't eat the same thing every day_

_Cuttin' off the phone_

_Leave me the fuck alone_

_Tomorrow I'll be begging you to come home_

_Tonight_

_Leave me alone, I'm lonely_

_Alone, I'm lonely_

_I'm tired_

_Leave me alone, I'm lonely_

_Alone, I'm lonely tonight_

_Go away, come back_

_Go away, come back_

_Why can't I just have it both ways?_

_Go away, come back_

_Go away, come back_

_I wish you knew the difference_

_Go away, come back_

_Go away_

_Give me a chance to miss you_

_Say goodbye_

_It'll make me wanna kiss you_

_Go away_

_Give me a chance to miss you_

_Say goodbye_

_It'll make me wanna kiss you_

_Go away_

_Give me a chance to miss you_

_Say goodbye_

_It'll make me wanna kiss you_

_Tonight_

_Leave me alone, I'm lonely_

_Alone, I'm lonely_

_I'm tired_

_Leave me alone, I'm lonely_

_Alone, I'm lonely_

_Tonight_

_Leave me alone, I'm lonely_

_Alone, I'm lonely_

_I'm tired_

_Leave me alone, I'm lonely_

_Alone, I'm lonely tonight_

_Tonight_

_(Go away_

_Give me a chance to miss you)_

_Leave me alone, I'm lonely_

_(Say goodbye_

_It'll make me wanna kiss you)_

_Alone, I'm lonely_

_I'm tired_

_(Go away_

_Give me a chance to miss you)_

_Leave me alone, I'm lonely_

_(Say goodbye_

_It'll make me wanna kiss you)_

_Alone, I'm lonely_

_Tonight_

_(Go away_

_Give me a chance to miss you)_

_(Say goodbye_

_It'll make me wanna kiss you)_

The song kind of made sense. I just wanted to be alone, away from Emmett, but I also needed him so much closer. And I didn't want to wake up with anyone else besides him, not even Shane.

I stayed in my room for about an hour and a half, pondering what I was going to do. Finally, I made my decision. I wanted to go back with him, and I would convince him to let me, so that we can be together.

"Emmett!" I yelled down the stairs. "Can you come up here?!"

Rosalie, Shane, and Edward appeared at the bottom of the stairs. They all looked at each other worriedly, then back at me.

Edward finally spoke. "Emmett went to some bar. I think he said Manny's. He's been gone for about an hour."

I grabbed my keys and dashed out the door. When I arrived, he wasn't in the bar. He was in his car with his shirt off laying against the seat. It was pushed all the way back and tilted as well, so it made a comfortable lounging position. I got out of my car and walked a little closer. His eyes were shut, and he clutching something tightly in his hand.

A razor.

My best friend of many years had now become my worst enemy. That razor would hurt my one and only. I ran to the car, but I was too late. He took the razor and sliced himself from his right shoulder to right above his left nipple. He smiled as the pain turned into euphoria. I could tell because that's how it was with me. I grabbed the door handle to the driver's side - the side he was on - and opened it quickly.

"Why are you doing this, Emmett?" I asked calmly.

"I decided it was better than getting drunk," he shrugged.

"I would have rather seen your puke than your blood, but hey, whatever gets you through the day," I replied sarcastically.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, leaning his head back against the seat.

"It's okay."

I cleaned his cut as best as I could and bandaged it up.

"Thank you. I didn't want you to see this," he sighed, motioning to the long gash across his otherwise perfect chest.

I didn't know what to say, so I just kissed him. It was short and sweet, but it got my point across. I put on his shirt for him and called Shane.

"Hey. can you, Rose, and Edward drive up here and get Emmett's Jeep? I'm going to drive him home."

"Yeah, sure. We're on our way," he said.

"Thanks."

I hung up, and Emmett followed me to my car. We got in, and the drive back was silent.

I pulled him inside and announced, "I'm going to bed. You can do whatever you want, but I suggest you go to sleep as well or get wasted. They're going to figure out that I drove you home for no reason if you don't."

I walked upstairs, and he followed. He grabbed my arm and whispered, "Can I have a goodnight kiss?"

I smiled at him and threw my arms around his neck, our mouths connecting. The kiss was rubbing against my still-healing stomach and his newly cut chest, so I pulled away quicker than was necessary.

"I love you, my Bella. I guess I'll see you at Christmas, the day after tomorrow. Edward and I are going to try to stay away from the house tomorrow. Shane said he was going to, also, just not with us. Rose will be here, though."

"Okay. I'm going to miss you. I love you more than anything, more than Shane, more than my own life."

I walked into mine and Shane's room and locked the door behind me. I needed to get away from my life for awhile, and Emmett had given me inspiration when I saw his blood. I don't know why, but it did.

I remember that I brought my stuff in earlier and grabbed the bag off the floor. I took out my razors, the bandages, the spray, and the wipes and went to the bathroom. I shed my clothes and stared into the full length mirror hanging on the back of the door. I looked hideous, a girl that was covered in scars - from herself and from another. A girl that was broken, literally. I hated it, the cutting, but I couldn't stop. Only Emmett had managed to help me, but for what? A year?

The sudden urge to cut was overwhelming, and I laid down on the cool, tiled floor.

The brand new razor was sharp against my flushed skin. I gasped very loudly when it connected with my thigh, then my calves and shins. I sliced the skin on my hip bone, traced the old scars with fresh cuts. I dug the blade into my shoulders and biceps, reliving the experience of my beating with John. It felt so real, so fucking real that I screamed and began to cry. Then, I heard the door burst open, even though it was locked, so I knew that Emmett used all of his strength.

"Holy shit!" he screamed.


	16. Therapeutic Christmas

**Chapter 16: Therapeutic Christmas**

_**Emmett's POV**_

"Holy shit!" I screamed.

Bella was lying on the bathroom floor in a pool of blood. She was drifting into unconsciousness.

I picked her up, threw a blanket onto her naked form, and rushed her to the hospital.

"What happened?" A doctor asked, after she was in a hospital room and had doctors working on her.

I explained how I found her on the floor, clutching a razor tightly in her hand. I explained her problems with cutting, desperately wanting her to get help now that it went this far.

Edward, Rose, and Shane all came to the hospital and waited for me.

"What happened?" Shane asked, his voice filled with love and concern.

Edward and Rosalie probably could guess, but I told them all anyway. "Bella has a problem with cutting herself. This time, she took it too far, and I found her covered in blood, new gashes and cuts all over her body."

"Oh, god…" Shane cried. I almost did, too.

About an hour and a half later, Alice and Jasper were there. They flew in from New York. We relayed the events to them, and they just waited with horror stricken faces, same as us.

Doctor Michaels came out and said solemnly, "Miss Swan might not make it. She lost so much blood, but we're trying to get as much pumped back into her as possible."

"She's dying?!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, but we're doing our best. She's out right now. We had to give her morphine to fix all of the lacerations up."

I just nodded, said "thanks", and buried my face into my hands. We waited for another hour, and the doctor came out with a smile on his face.

"She's okay. She'll wake up soon, but she can't leave just yet. We need to run some tests on her. We stitched her up, and she should be able to leave later, though." His smile faded. "Did anything happen to Miss Swan to make her do this to herself?"

Jasper answered. "About a year and a half ago, she was raped and almost beaten to death. Then, our mom and step dad died in a terrible car accident."

"Oh. I'm so sorry, Mister Swan," Doctor Michaels said softly.

Then, a nurse came out. "She's awake. Her family and, if she has one, her husband or boyfriend can come in." Jasper and Shane stood up, and without thinking, so did I. "State your relationships to Miss Swan," she demanded.

Jasper said, "I'm her older brother."

Shane replied, "I'm her boyfriend."

She looked at me expectantly. "I guess I'll sit down. I don't have any relationship to Miss Swan."

She nodded, and when they all went to her room, I cried.

I cried for me, for Bella, for us, and for everything that we can't be.

The nurse came back out with Jasper and Shane in tow. "She only wants to see an Emmett Hale."

I stood back up, smiling slightly, and practically ran to her. I saw her on the hospital bed, and I almost fainted from the sight. She had IVs hooked up to her, both blood and other unidentifiable liquids running into her. She looked healthy, though, when I looked at her face. I sat down in a chair and pulled it close to the bed.

"Thanks, Em…" she whispered, holding back tears. "For saving me, I mean."

"It's okay, baby," I sighed. "Don't get mad when I tell you this, but they're going to get you a therapist. I'm getting one, too. I don't want to see you like that ever again." I began to cry, and I laid my head down on the edge of the bed. "I love you too damn much."

She began to run her hand through my hair. "I love you, too. This is a bad time for asking, but can I come back with you to California?"

"What? Is that what you did this for? For attention? To make it to where I don't ever want to leave your side again?" I asked.

"No. I don't know why I did it, okay? I just needed to get it out of my system." Her voice kept getting louder.

"Get what out of your system, Bella?"

"Everything!" she yelled, then she lowered her voice. "Just don't worry about it. I'd rather stay here with Shane, and Edward, and Dartmouth anyway."

"Bella-"

She cut me off. "Don't. I'd rather not hear your desperate cries for forgiveness if you're just going to leave without me."

"You know that it's going to be damn near impossible to even have time for you. Let's just enjoy Christmas, alright? I can try to come back Spring Break."

"Try being the operative word," she mumbled.

The nurse and Doctor Michaels came in. "You can leave, Miss Swan. We ran tests and just got the results back. We'll unhook you, and you'll be free to go. Oh, and Mister Hale, do you mind keeping an eye on her?" he asked.

"No, I don't mind. Thank you, both of you, for being so helpful."

They nodded, and I left, so they could get all of the needles and tubes out of her. She came out thirty minutes later, dressed with a smile on her face. She ran straight to Shane and jumped into his arms.

"I love you so much. I'm sorry I scared you," she murmured.

"Just don't ever do it again. And your next appointment is the week after New Year's. January 9th. I'll take you to Burkenstoff's then. That's the therapy place. His name is Dr. Burkenstoff, too, and he's-"

"Stop rambling, and just kiss me already," Bella interrupted.

He smiled and kissed her long and lovingly. I had to look away.

"Well, we should all get going. We decided to come over to your place and hang out for awhile. We can't get a plane back until tomorrow, and we don't feel like driving," Alice said.

I walked over to Alice and whispered, "Can you keep an eye out for Bells? I don't think I can stay much longer. I plan on leaving right after Christmas. I just can't handle it."

"Of course, Emmy. I just hate you have to go so quickly. I've missed you so much these past few months. After this year, I'm transferring to a fashion design college in Los Angeles, and we'll be able to hang out."

She was the only one who could get away with calling me Emmy. Not even Rose dared to venture there; it was too dangerous for anyone, except Alice. She was more than a best friend, more than a sister. She was more than a lover, even. She was…my Alice. I loved her more than words could explain, but in a different way than I loved Bella.

"Well, there's always room for you in my big ass apartment," I smiled, and she did, too, but it faded.

"When we get back home, I need to talk to you…" she sighed.

"Of course, Ali."

We all got into our separate vehicles, except for Bella. She decided to ride with Shane instead of me.

We all began to walk inside, but Alice grabbed my arm and pulled me into my Jeep. "Emmett, something's wrong…"

"What is?" I asked.

"Jasper…I don't think I love him like I used to. I mean, I still do, but he's become someone else ever since Bella got here. I've tried to get over it, but I can't…It's too hard to overlook. I think I'm going to break up with him…" Her voice was breaking, and I could tell it was hard for her to say.

"Ali, baby…you've been with him since our freshman year." I tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I know, and I think it's time for a change. That's why I'm moving to California. I need to get away, and I know you'll be there to help me. Mommy and Daddy said that they wouldn't support me in my fashion career. They want me to go into the family business, but I don't want to be a rich snob working in some law firm." Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

I wiped them away and whispered, "Shh, don't cry. It's okay. I'll be in California waiting, alright?"

She nodded. "I love you, Emmy. Thank you…"

I hugged her as close as my Jeep would allow. "I love you, too, Al."

We walked inside and watched _Cruel Intentions_ on their flat screen. It was freaking hilarious, but that might've been just me. All they talked about was screwing each other.

When the movie was over, we all went to bed. It was already one o'clock, but none of us were tired until then.

--------------------------

The next day passed by in a blur. Most of us went out to perfect our gifts for each other. Jasper and Alice decided to stay until Christmas was over, same as me. I would miss Bella, and Alice, and Rose. I would miss everyone.

We would all go back to our separate colleges. Me at UCLA. Alice and Jasper at NYU. Rosalie at Yale. And Edward, Shane, and Bella at Dartmouth.

I hated that we would all be going our separate ways once again. Well, most of us, anyway.

--------------------------

Christmas finally arrived, and we were all gathered around the table.

We had a huge feast cooked by Bella and Edward; they were the only two who could actually make food taste good.

When we were finished with our meal, we sat in a semi-circle around the tree. We handed our presents to everyone, one at a time.

From Rosalie, I got a brand new, state of the art football. It was better than the ones used in the NFL and looked terribly expensive.

From Edward and Shane, I got some CDs of my favorite bands and one mixed one that he made. Edward knew I also loved music.

From Jasper, I got an autograph from my favorite football player on his game winning ball.

From Alice, I got some new sweatshirts and hoodies. She even made some herself. I tried them on, and they all fit perfectly. She was an amazing designer.

And last, but not least, Bella. She got me a giant teddy bear, holding a football and wearing a jersey. On the back of the shirt, it said, "I'll always love my Teddy Bear." It almost made me cry, but I held it in.

I got Rosalie a poem book and a pair of new shoes. She said she wanted to get into poetry, and that she couldn't find the heels anywhere, so I had them special ordered. She also said that since she was studying drama, she ought to know some famous poems and such.

I got Edward some classical CDs, knowing that he was still into piano.

I got Shane a British novel. I knew it seemed prejudiced, but I had no idea what to get him. He smiled widely, though, saying he had no idea where he could find that particular book and was very appreciative.

I got Jasper a brand new, acoustic guitar. I knew he was majoring in music and that he needed a better one than he had, so I got him a top of the line one.

I got Alice a brand new sewing machine, also the best of it's kind. She was freaking out and excited. I was glad to see her out of the glum mood she was in the past two days she was here.

Finally, I got Bella a giant portrait of us. I took the frameless picture we had in our locker at school and took it to a painter. He made it look almost lifelike, as if you were really there in a world of water colors and oil paints - whichever he used. She looked as though she was about to breakdown, but she kept the tears back.

We watched _A Christmas Carol _and _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_, two favorites that might have been a little kid like, but we still loved. They were classics.

Alice, Jasper, and I had to leave at four that afternoon. It was amazing while it lasted.

Bella pulled me upstairs to talk before I left. "Please take me with you…"

I grimaced slightly. "I can't. Just stay here, and finish college. I'm going to visit on breaks. I will. I love you."

I kissed her and walked out the door, wishing more than anything that I could take her from her world of pain, but knowing that I couldn't. She would be ignored, completely forgotten in my football career. Okay, that was probably a lie, but it was chance I was willing to take.

However, I didn't know that would be the last time I saw Bella Swan in years.


	17. A New Addition, A Ruined Career

**Chapter 17, Part 1: A New Addition**

_**Bella's POV**_

Emmett left me.

He went back to California without me.

I wanted to go, and I guess I understood his reasoning, but I didn't care. I wanted to be with him, and we're supposed to do anything to be with the ones we love, right?

But it doesn't matter now. I realized that too late.

Emmett's back in L.A., and I'm still stuck here in New Hampshire.

I thought I'd be able to forget him, but a month and a half later, I'd knew that it would be impossible.

I was pregnant. I was going to have Shane's kid; something I only wanted to have with Emmett. The baby would remind me of that fact.

I didn't tell anyone besides Edward and Shane, only because I didn't want Emmett to know. I don't know why I didn't, maybe because I subconsciously did not want to rub it in his face.

I had attended six therapy sessions, and I already feel like a better person. I knew I needed to stop, and the child inside of me made me fully aware of that. Whenever I even looked at a razor now, it made me sick, knowing what I used to do with that and knowing the damage it could cause.

After seven more months of therapy sessions and a baby growing inside of me, I was ready. Ready to finally give up the razor and the damage, and ready to have the child.

Shane and Edward rushed me to the hospital, and I decided that I needed both of them in there for support. Three hours later, I was finally able to have the baby, and it shocked me when I saw the beautiful little boy.

He had medium brown hair, beautiful blue eyes, and dimples when he smiled. He looked nothing like Shane, but a lot like Emmett. Shane noticed this, too, and ran out of the room.

Edward just smiled down at the little bundle of joy he was holding and asked, "What are you going to name him?"

"I have a name in mind, but I don't know if he'll like it…" I whispered.

"I'm sure he will. What is it?"

"Heathcliff Alexander. We can call him Heath. What do you think?" I questioned nervously.

"I love it, and Emmett will, too." He smiled, then in a baby voice, he said, "Hi, little Heathcliff. Aren't you a handsome little boy?"

That was the last thing I heard before I passed out from exhaustion.

-------------------------

I went home three days later with Heath.

Edward had stayed with me because Shane was terribly sad and heartbroken. I could understand his disposition; I probably wouldn't have come, either.

When we got to our house, I saw Shane waiting on the porch. "Hey, guys. Edward, can you watch…" He trailed off, not knowing the name.

"His name is Heath, and yeah, I'll watch him for you," Edward said, smiling.

We both sat down on the bench. "I'm really sorry I wasn't there for you, Bella."

"It's okay. If I was you, I would be pretty upset as well."

"But I still should've been there. Bella, I'm going to help you raise him until Emmett comes back. I want to, but when he does, I'm going to leave. I love you so much, but I don't think we can be together anymore. I can be your friend, like Edward, and do anything I can for you, but I can't handle my heart being continuously broken."

I felt a tear crawl down my cheek as I nodded. "I understand, and I love you, too, Shane. I completely agree with your decisions. I'm going to go inside with my child, now."

I stood up, kissed his forehead, and went into the kitchen to fix Heathcliff a bottle.

To be honest, though, I doubt Emmett was coming back. I talked to him on the phone at least once a month, but I hadn't seen him since Christmas.

I was taking a year off of school to take care of my baby. I could always go back later; it wasn't a big deal to me.

What was a big deal was that Heath's father was a thousand miles away, and I didn't think he'd ever meet him.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Chapter 17, Part 2: A Ruined Career**

_**Emmett's POV**_

I finished out my first year of college, and Alice did as well.

She came to live with me that summer. I was very happy that I had a friend I was extremely close to in California.

Alice broke up with Jasper right before she left, saying that she needed a break and that he wasn't the same person. She was completely devastated that she had to lose her one and only, the person she had devoted five years of her life to.

I bought her a new, yellow Porsche, and it made her feel better, but not enough to get her completely out of the dumps. She's not a shallow person, but usually materialistic things lifted her spirits.

She was sitting on my bed after I came home from Sonic. I got us both dinner because neither of us felt like cooking. I set down the food and ran to her.

"Oh, Alice, it's okay. I'm here. It'll be alright," I soothed.

She shook her head, tears falling furiously. "Jasper just called. He said he wanted me to come back, and I told him no. I told him that I liked it better here with you. He sounded so sad. I feel terrible. I'm a horrible person."

"No, you're not. You're one of the nicest people I've ever met, so don't ever say that." She nodded slightly. "Are you hungry? I got us food."

"No. You go ahead and eat. I'm just going to lay down."

"Then, I will, too," I smiled.

We curled up together in my bed, and it wasn't awkward. It was like she was meant to be comforted by me, like Bella and Rose.

Before we went to sleep, I heard a small, "I love you, Emmy…"

"I love you, too, Al…"

---------------------------

It was August again, and I felt bad that I never made it back up to New Hampshire, but Alice needed me here.

Alice told me not to tell Bella, that no one else knew about her and Jasper. I simply nodded and promised her I wouldn't say a word.

Classes started, and it was like they never even stopped.

Football practice was becoming more difficult, and I couldn't be happier. I loved the thrill of the game. It was my safe haven.

Something happened, though, at the end of November. I was chosen to play in an NFL game. Me. Emmett. I was completely excited.

The game was tied. We only needed one more touchdown to win. My friend, Mertaugh, who was also chosen, threw me the ball. I caught it and was almost to the 100 yard line when…BAM.

I was hit and thrown twelve yards by the enormous linebacker.

I went to the hospital, barely aware of anything, and then, they put me under. All I knew was that I was going to have surgery.

They finally let me out on February 27th.

My leg had been broken in three different places, and two discs in my spine had been put out of line.

Needless to say, my football career had been ruined.

I never told Bella or anyone really. Only Carlisle, Esme, Rose, and Alice knew.

Actually, I wasn't really allowed to make any phone calls to anyone outside the family. Alice, the sneaky little pixie, told them we were going to become engaged just so that she could speak with me.

After the months I was incapable of phoning Bella, she completely stopped talking to me. She wouldn't answer my calls after I was finally released, and she never made an effort to call me back. I was completely disconnected from her life.

Alice and I had become closer, though. We began dating to see what it was like, and to our surprise, we enjoyed it. We were helping each other cope with losing the ones we loved, the ones who completed us. We weren't in love, but the bond we had between us long before that overrode that fact.

She began sleeping in my room, and after a few months, we started making love. Not fucking, not screwing, actually making love like Bella and I had that first time.

God, I loved Bella, but the sad thing is I'd probably never see her again.


	18. Three Years Later

**Chapter 18: Three Years Later**

**A/N: In this chapter, Bella has only been to three years of college, since she took off a year. Shane, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett have all finished their four year terms. Edward is in medical school, now, so unfortunately, he has four more years. By the way, Stonewalls was a real karaoke bar that I used to go to. It closed down.**

**_Bella's POV_**

Shane finished college, and he began to watch my little three-year-old, Heathcliff, for me.

I was able to focus on the new school year that lay ahead.

It was June, though, and I constantly found my thoughts drifting to Emmett. He stopped talking to me for a few months, so I did the same. My silent treatment, however, turned out to last a few years.

I thought it would be better for everyone, including Heath. He knew that Shane nor Edward was his dad, and I knew that he really wanted to meet him, but I couldn't bring myself to tell Emmett. So I stopped speaking with him altogether.

I asked Rosalie about him every once in awhile, but she said she didn't know anything. I knew she was probably lying, but I also knew Rose. It was probably for the best.

Shane told me that I needed to have some fun, that he would watch and play with Heathcliff - they had become best friends, despite the age difference - and kept trying to send Edward and I out to a karaoke bar.

I finally agreed, and Edward took me to Stonewalls. We went inside, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Emmett fucking Hale. I gasped, and Edward turned to me.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I shook off the shock and whispered, "Emmett's here, but it's okay. I'm going to go sing a song."

"Okay…That's weird."

"What?"

"You only sing around Emmett. I haven't heard you sing in about four years."

I sighed. "Yeah, I know."

I walked up to the guy and requested to sing _When You're Gone_ by Avril Lavigne. When it was my turn after the guy up there sang, I took center stage and looked right at Emmett. He was turned away, but I saw the look of shock on his face when I began to sing, for he pivoted and stared into my eyes.

_I always needed time on my own_

_I never thought I'd_

_Need you there when I cried_

_And the days feel like years when I'm alone_

_And the bed where you lie_

_Is made up on your side_

_When you walk away_

_I count the steps that you take_

_Do you see how much I need you right now?_

_When you're gone_

_The pieces of my heart are missing you_

_When you're gone_

_The face I came to know is missing, too_

_When you're gone_

_The words I need to hear to always get me through the day_

_And make it okay_

_I miss you_

_I never felt this way before_

_Everything that I do_

_Reminds me of you_

_And the clothes you left_

_They lie on the floor_

_And they smell just like you_

_I love the things that you do_

_When you walk away_

_I count the steps that you take_

_Do you see how much I need you right now?_

_When you're gone_

_The pieces of my heart are missing you_

_When you're gone_

_The face I came to know is missing, too_

_When you're gone_

_The words I need to hear to always get me through the day_

_And make it okay_

_I miss you_

_We were made for each other_

_Out there together_

_I know we were_

_Yeah, yeah_

_And all I ever wanted was for you to know everything I do_

_I give my heart and soul_

_I can hardly breathe_

_I need to feel you right here with me_

_Yeah_

_When you're gone_

_The pieces of my heart are missing you_

_When you're gone_

_The face I came to know is missing, too_

_When you're gone_

_The words I need to hear to always get me through the day_

_And make it okay_

_I miss you_

I stood there for a second, and Emmett began to make his way toward me. I ran off the stage and into Edward's waiting arms. He held me close in a brotherly way while Emmett just stared in disbelief. Then, he walked over to the DJ and requested a song. He stood on the stage and began to sing _Cinderella Story _by the Plain White T's.

_I've heard that you've asking about me_

_Least, that's the word on the street_

_I just don't know what to believe_

_Why was I dumb enough to leave?_

_I saw you with him today_

_The boy who took my place_

_You seemed so much happier with me_

_But maybe that's just the way I want it to be_

_But it's just another one of those days_

_The way you made it all feel so right_

_The way you fit into my arm's at night_

_I'll remember that feeling for the rest of my life_

_But it's just another one of those days_

_I can't help but feel a little upset_

_About the things you and I never had_

_I had the world_

_But instead, threw it all away_

_Now, it's just another one of those days_

_So, tell me what happens next?_

_It's out of my hands, I guess_

_I just don't know what to believe_

_Why don't you tell me to believe?_

_Why did you let me leave?_

_It's not the way it's gotta be_

_What's wrong with me?_

_Why don't you tell me to believe?_

_Why did you let me leave?_

_Is that the way this has to be?_

_But it's just another one of those days_

_The way you made it all feel so right_

_The way you fit into my arm's at night_

_I'll remember that feeling for the rest of my life_

_But it's just another one of those days_

_I can't help but feel a little upset_

_About the things you and I never had_

_I had the world_

_But instead, threw it all away_

_Now, it's just another one of those days_

He finished and walked off the stage, running as fast as he could towards me through the crowd.

"Take me home," I muttered to Edward.

He nodded, and we ran to his car. It was bad enough that I saw Emmett after so long, but now, I was going to have to face him. We pulled into the drive, and sure enough, Emmett did, too.

"Bella, wait!" He called from his Jeep.

"We can talk inside," I said harshly.

"Front porch," he replied in the same tone.

"Fine." I looked at Edward and mumbled, "Can you help Shane with Heath?"

He smiled sadly and nodded, walking inside. Emmett and I sat down on the bench, the same one Shane and I had talked on.

"Why did you stop talking to me?" he asked.

"Wait a second. What? You stopped talking to me first."

He sighed. "Bella, I wasn't allowed to for a few months. I had an accident. A linebacker crashed into me, threw me twelve yards, and I broke my leg and screwed up my back. I was pretty lucky that I didn't become paralyzed. They kept me just in case something happened. As soon as I got out, I called you over and over again. You never picked up or called back. So eventually, I just stopped."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know. Oh, god. I wasn't there." I buried my face into my hands and sobbed slightly. "Um, Emmett, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure. You can ask me anything…"

"Why did you come back? After I ignored you and everything?" I asked softly, tears falling rapidly down my cheeks.

"I wanted to see you again. Now that we're out of college, I thought maybe it'd be easier for us to be together. If you still wanted to be…"

"First off, I haven't even finished college, yet! And second, you can't just come back into my life like this and expect me to still want to be with you! You just can't! I mean, I still do, but what if something had happened? Like I had married Shane?" I yelled.

"But I know you didn't."

"You're right, but before you say you want to be with me still, there's someone you should meet…"

I stood up and walked inside; Emmett followed, confusion spreading across his perfect features.

"Heath! Heath, baby, come here!" I called. Edward and Shane came out with Heathcliff, and Emmett gasped. "Em, this is Heath. Heathcliff Alexander…er…Swan."

"Am I…you know…?" he stuttered.

"Yeah. If you want to act like it, then can I go ahead and tell him?" I asked. He nodded, so I picked up our child and smiled. "Heath. This is your daddy."

"Daddy? You my daddy?" His eyes lit up, and a grin was plastered on his face, dimples and all, just like his dad.

"Yeah, Heath. I'm your daddy," Emmett announced, and Heath held out his arms.

Emmett grabbed him and held him tightly. "Daddy. I miss you, daddy."

"I know. I'm so sorry…" Emmett began to cry.

"Daddy, don't cwy."

Emmett smiled widely. "I'm happy, Heath. I'm crying because I'm happy."

"Heath happy, too." His smile mirrored his father's once again.

"Good. Can mommy and daddy go talk for a minute?"

Heath nodded. "Uhhuh. I love you, Daddy."

Emmett's face lit up, and he squeezed him tightly. "Daddy loves you, too, Heath."

Emmett set him down, and we both walked upstairs. We went into my room, and I sat down on my bed, preparing for the onslaught that I was sure would follow.

"Why didn't you tell me I had a son, Bella? A three-year old son, to be specific…" He wasn't being too loud, thankfully.

"I thought it would be better for us all."

"You thought it'd be better for our child to grow up without a father? What kind of sick woman are you?"

"I'm not sick, okay? I didn't think you'd want him! I thought that since I had Edward and Shane to help me, I would be fine without you, but I'm not!" I fell to the floor, crying. "I'm not okay. I love you, Emmett…I loved you five and a half years ago, and I still love you, now."

"I love you, too, but what are we going to do? I can always move up here. Didn't you say you had to finish school?"

My tears were still coming, but they were silent. "Yeah, I have another year. And you don't have to move up here if you don't want to…"

"I want my child to have a father and a mother, okay? I can watch Heath while you go to school, and then, we can spend the rest of the day as a family after you unwind." He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "How does that sound?"

I smiled. "Amazing. Are you sure you want to do this?"

He grinned as well and used the phrase I had used so many times. "I've never been more sure about anything in my life. I want this."

"Alright. Em, I'm really sorry I never told you. I'm sure you'll be a great dad."

"I'm sure you're already a fantastic mom, Bells."

We sat there, staring at each other with smiles on our faces, for the longest time.

"Well, do you know what this means?" he finally asked.

"No, what?"

"We get to get a house together!" He exclaimed.

"Oh, geez…" I laughed and rolled my eyes. "I guess we can, but let's just rent one. I kind of want to move back to Phoenix, if that's okay."

"Of course. I wouldn't mind at all."

I placed my small hands in his big ones and sighed contently. I looked deep into his eyes. "I'm never going to forgive myself for not calling you back…"

"And I'm never going to forgive myself for choosing football over you…"

I gasped. "Don't say that. You've always wanted to play…"

"But ever since I met you, I've wanted you a whole lot more. I just didn't realize it until now."


	19. Three Years Later, Part 2

**Chapter 19: Three Years Later, Part 2**

**A/N: Clearing up confusion beforehand, this is NOT three years after the last chapter. This is last chapter in Emmett's POV, sharing his thoughts about everything.**

_**Emmett's POV**_

My time at UCLA was finished, and I had decided to major in Literature. Since I could no longer play football, I decided to go into something else I loved. I always had a thing for English novels and poems. I wouldn't even mind teaching it, and Bella had made that part of me even more pronounced.

God, I missed that woman.

So I decided to go back to New Hampshire, hoping she'd still be there. Alice came with me, not wanting to stay in California alone. She also knew I'd need support.

So there I was, on my way to a hotel with Al after leaving the airport. We fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow, not even able to mumble the "I love you's" and "goodnights" like we always did.

The next day, we woke up late at 1:30pm. Alice and I went out for lunch and shopping. She bought me five shirts, three pairs of jeans, and some silk boxers, saying she'd make me some more clothes, even though we were no longer dating. I just laughed, knowing she was an absolute genius with fashion. She loved it, and once she got settled down somewhere, she wanted to become a personal shopper for some rich snobs.

It was 9:30 before we knew it, and Alice made me get dressed up to go to some bar. Little did I know, she was planning on me singing a song. When we got there, we started dancing together and drinking. We talked to some of the guys there, and they were pretty decent. I could see Alice with someone like that.

We were just chatting about where we all grew up when I heard a beautiful voice begin to sing. _Her_ beautiful voice. I spun around, and she was staring straight at me, unshed tears making her eyes look glazed over. I listened to the words.

_I always needed time on my own_

_I never thought I'd_

_Need you there when I cried_

What did that mean? I knew that her song choice had some meaning behind it; they always did. I snapped out of my thoughts and continued to listen.

_Do you see how much I need you right now?_

_When you're gone_

_The pieces of my heart are missing you_

_When you're gone_

_The face I came to know is missing, too_

_When you're gone_

_The words I need to hear to always get me through the day_

_And make it okay_

_I miss you_

I seriously didn't think I was losing my mind. Was she saying she needed me? That she missed me? Why couldn't she just tell me already and save the suspense? But I would've hated that because I loved her voice.

I listened to the rest of the song, and it took my breath away. I came to believe she was saying everything I thought, for she ran off the stage, tears falling. I had to sing for her.

I sang a Plain White T's song, and I could see she was also stunned. When I was done, I began to make my way towards her, but she ran away.

Ouch.

Edward grabbed her and took her to his car. I ran after them and followed them to their house. I wondered why Shane wasn't with them, but decided not to dwell on him. I needed to talk to Bella.

We both got out of our separate vehicles, and I yelled, "Bella, wait!"

"We can talk inside," she snapped.

I could compromise because I sure as hell didn't want to have this conversation in front of an audience. "Front porch."

She sighed. "Fine." She looked at Edward and mumbled something that I couldn't make out. Something about helping Shane, I think. He went inside, smiling a pained smile. We sat down on the comfortable bench on the porch.

"Why did you stop talking to me?" I asked sadly.

"Wait a second. What? You stopped talking to me first," she stated.

I tried to think of a time when I stopped talking to her and immediately remembered. It was when I was injured in the game. "Bella, I wasn't allowed to for a few months. I had an accident. A linebacker crashed into me, threw me twelve yards, and I broke my leg and screwed up my back. I was pretty lucky that I didn't become paralyzed. They kept me just in case something happened. As soon as I got out, I called you over and over again. You never picked up or called back. So eventually, I just stopped."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know. Oh, god. I wasn't there." She began to sob into her hands, and when she finally calmed down enough, she questioned, "Um, Emmett, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure. You can ask me anything…" And I wanted her to. I wanted her to ask me if we could still be together for the rest of our lives, but she didn't.

Instead, it was, "Why did you come back? After I ignored you and everything?" Tears were flowing quickly down her pale cheeks.

"I wanted to see you again. Now that we're out of college, I thought maybe it'd be easier for us to be together. If you still wanted to be…" And I really hoped she did.

Then, she began yelling. "First off, I haven't even finished college, yet! And second, you can't just come back into my life like this and expect me to still want to be with you! You just can't! I mean, I still do, but what if something had happened? Like I had married Shane?"

I almost snorted. I almost laughed in her face at that. But I didn't because I knew at one point she had loved Shane. I'm sure still does, but we both knew it wouldn't last when we fucked each other Christmas break. "But I know you didn't."

"You're right, but before you say you want to be with me still, there's someone you should meet…" It wasn't a good thing whenever Bella sounded uncertain, so I quickly followed her when she walked inside. I was thoroughly confused.

"Heath! Heath, baby, come here!" She yelled. Who the hell was Heath? Just then, Edward and Shane walked out with a cute little toddler. Right when I saw him, I knew that he was _my_ cute little toddler. "Em, this is Heath. Heathcliff Alexander…er…Swan."

I had to voice my suspicions. "Am I…you know…?"

"Yeah. If you want to act like it, then can I go ahead and tell him?" She asked quietly. Of course, I wanted her to. I would've liked it three years ago when she actually had him, but I didn't say that. Yet. I just nodded. She picked him up, smiling. "Heath, this is your daddy."

I saw his eyes brighten when he said, "Daddy? You my daddy?" I could tell by his dimples that he had my smile.

I was still in shock, but I managed to get it out. "Yeah, Heath. I'm your daddy." He held out his arms to me, and I grabbed him, holding him close. It felt right holding my son in my arms. I liked that. My son.

"Daddy. I miss you, Daddy," he replied.

I began to cry because I didn't even know I had a son to miss. "I know. I'm so sorry."

"Daddy, don't cwy."

I grinned widely. "I'm happy, Heath. I'm crying because I'm happy."

"Heath happy, too," he stated matter-of-factly, smiling once again.

"Good. Can mommy and daddy go talk for a minute?" I asked.

Heath nodded. "Uhhuh. I love you, Daddy."

I squeezed him even tighter, growing more ecstatic. "Daddy loves you, too, Heath."

Bella and I walked upstairs and to her room after I set Heath down. She sat on the bed, looking sheepish. And she should.

"Why didn't you tell me I had a son, Bella? A three-year old son, to be specific…" Damn it. I wanted to yell, to scream, anything to let her now how pissed I was.

"I thought it would be better for us all."

I was seriously about to lose it. "You thought it'd be better for our child to grow up without a father? What kind of sick woman are you?" I let it slip, not meaning to. She used to be sick, to be a cutter. Like me, but I hoped she stopped. I didn't. Mostly because of her. Not having her, anyway.

"I'm not sick, okay? I didn't think you'd want him! I thought that since I had Edward and Shane to help me, I would be fine without you, but I'm not!" Oh, shit. I made her mad and upset. She was now crying on the floor. I wanted to comfort her, but I couldn't. Not after her keeping Heath a secret. "I'm not okay. I love you, Emmett…I loved you five and a half years ago, and I still love you, now."

I gave into her, not wanting to hurt her anymore. "I love you, too, but what are we going to do? I can always move up here. Didn't you say you had to finish school?"

Her tears were now silent. "Yeah, I have another year. And you don't have to move up here if you don't want to…" She didn't believe that I wanted this, a family.

"I want my child to have a father and a mother, okay? I can watch Heath while you go to school, and then, we can spend the rest of the day as a family after you unwind." Then, I tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "How does that sound?"

Her face instantly lit up, but I could see the doubt. "Amazing. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Duh. Of course, I do. So, I borrowed her frequently used line. "I've never been more sure about anything in my life. I want this."

"Alright. Em, I'm really sorry I never told you. I'm sure you'll be a great dad." And she really did sound sorry, like she was beating herself up.

"I'm sure you're already a fantastic mom, Bells." I wanted her to be joyful, like me.

We just sat there, our expressions mimicking the other's, for a very long time.

I finally broke the silence, asking, "Do you know what this means?" I was really excited for her answer, just so I could respond to her confusion with my awesome revelation.

"No, what?"

And so, I said it. More like exclaimed it, but whatever. "We get to get a house together!"

She rolled her eyes, laughing. "Oh, geez…I guess we can, but let's just rent one. I kind of want to move back to Phoenix, if that's okay."

"Of course. I wouldn't mind at all." And it was true. I just wanted to be with my Bella and my son.

She placed her hands in mine, sighing. Our gazes locked, and she said, "I'm never going to forgive myself for not calling you back."

What? She didn't have to apologize. "And I'm never going to forgive myself for choosing football over you…"

"Don't say that. You've always wanted to play," she gasped.

Then, I told her the truth. The fact that I hadn't told anyone, except myself. "But ever since I met you, I've wanted you a whole lot more. I just didn't realize it until now."

**A/N: Sorry for the part one and two of this. There's so much conversation, but I felt the need to express why he went back to NH. And Alice stayed at the club. I'll explain next chapter. I might do a Alice POV or a Jasper POV. Maybe a Shane, too. Who knows?**


	20. Parties and Charity Events

**Chapter 20: Parties and Charity Events**

**A/N: Bella's dress and sandals will be put up on my profile. Shane's picture is on my profile. Amanda's picture is on my profile. The girl's dresses and haircuts are on my profile. And I accidentally put brown eyes when I was talking about Bella in chapter 12, but like what chapter 1 says, they're green. SORRY.**

_**Emmett's POV**_

Bella and I rented a house right down the street from Edward and Shane. Alice and Rosalie decided to move here, too, and moved in with the guys.

I could tell that Alice kind of had a thing for Winston, but what girl didn't like a man with a British accent? Anyway, they had started dating, and they really fell head over heels in love with each other. It had only been three weeks since Alice and I came back, making that July 14th, but I could tell like I did our junior year with Rose and Edward. Speaking of Rosie and Eddie, he proposed to her two nights ago at his birthday party. Shane, Alice, Bella, and I were there, as well as Jasper and his girlfriend of two years, Amanda. Bella asked one of her close friends from college, Clara, to watch Heath, and she happily helped because it was on a Saturday. I remembered the night clearly, as if it were happening now.

_We pulled up to the bar, and I opened the door for my amazing girlfriend. She stepped out of my Jeep, wearing a black, white, and blue strapless dress. I made sure she wore the blue sandals I got her to go with it, not wanting her to fall. I wore black slacks and a blue shirt that matched her. We looked great together. We went into Manny's, the really classy bar that Bella and I had both been to before._

"_Emmy!" Alice called from across the room._

_I waved, and Bella laughed. When we got to the other side, we found that everyone else had only been here for a few minutes. Edward ordered Bella, Rosalie, and myself drinks since we were not of age, yet; mine and Rose's birthday was next month, and Bella's was in September. When we were all done with our first round, Edward got down on one knee and looked Rosalie in the eyes._

"_I love you, Rose. Every day I spend with you, I fall deeper in love. I've had a crush on you since the second grade, and I'm so happy you finally gave me a chance when we were seventeen. Now, all I ask is for you to give me your hand, so I can place this ring upon it and make you my wife. What do say, Rosalie Lillian Hale? Will you marry me?" His voice was so full of life and hope, so full of compassion._

_She nodded, tears falling happily. "Yes, Edward! Yes, I'll marry you!" she screamed, and I had no doubt that my sister would be happy._

_Edward, Rose, Alice, and Jasper had a few more rounds, but the rest of us held off, knowing we would be driving the others home. In the end, that's exactly what happened. Shane drove Edward, Rose, and Alice home, while Amanda drove Jasper back to our place. They were living with us until we moved; they were going to Arizona with us._

_That night had been a great night, full of life, friends, fun. A night full of love._

I was pulled out of my memory by Heath squealing in laughter. He was playing with Jasper while Amanda and Bella went out for a spa day with the girls. I walked over to where they were playing with blocks and sat down.

Jasper gave me a sheepish look. "I'm sorry if I'm hogging him all to myself…"

He began to get up, and I shook my head, motioning for him to sit back down. "It's cool, man. He's your nephew, as well as my son. I can share," I smiled.

Jasper did, too, and we both went back to stacking the wooden cubes with Heathcliff. I still couldn't get over the fact that he was mine, that he looked exactly liked me, except for his eyes. He got Bella's big, emerald eyes.

Bella, Alice, Rose, and Amanda all walked in about an hour and a half later. They all sported new looks, and Jasper and I were stunned.

Bella dyed her hair a golden blonde, and she looked beautiful. Alice got extensions, and her hair was made wavy. She looked amazing. Rosalie colored her hair a light brown, so different from the bleach blonde hair she had before. She was breathtaking. Amanda just trimmed her brunette hair; she was already really beautiful.

Speaking of Amanda, I could see why Jasper liked her. She was into music like him and was very sweet. She was naturally pretty and super outgoing. She was one of those girls who would get up and dance on top of a bar when she was perfectly sober. In fact, that's exactly what she did at Edward's party. We became very close, as close as Rosalie and me. I loved her very much.

Bella walked over to me. "Do you like my hair, Em?"

I smoothed her hair and left my hand on the back of her neck. "Yes, very much. You look amazing." I kissed her, then turned to my other girls. "You all look fantastic. I never thought my sister would dye her pretty, blonde hair, though." I faked disappointment as I walked over to Rose and ran my hands through her hair.

"You don't like it?" she asked, getting upset.

"I'm kidding, Rosie. I love it." I kissed her cheek, and they all said they were going to take us to a charity event the next weekend.

We all agreed, since it was okay for Heath to join us. They already got their dresses and put in our sizes for our tuxes. We had to go for a fitting the next day.

----------------------------

That weekend, we all dressed up and headed over to the giant ballroom rented out for the event. It was for the homeless people, and for every person that came, a house was donated. It was an extraordinary cause, and I thought it would be a great time to propose to my love. I put the ring in my pants' pocket.

All the guys wore black tuxedos. Bella wore a teal dress, Rosalie's was a dark red, Amanda's dress was light pink and black, and Alice wore a black dress with silver beading that she made herself. The girls looked stunning, and my son looked very handsome.

We walked inside, and Bella, Edward, and Shane greeted all of their friends from Dartmouth. Alice, Jasper, Amanda, Rose, and I all looked lost as they flitted around, talking to everyone.

Rose looked at me when a new song started. "Well, bro, aren't you going to ask me to dance, since my fiancé's not here?"

I smiled. "Sure. Why not? You better still be a good dancer, sis."

We swayed and twirled to the beat, and I was really surprised that I was beginning to have fun. When the song was over, the gang gave us their props, and Edward and Bella were apologizing that they missed the first dance.

"No worries, babe. I know you love me," I told Bella, then picked her up and spun her around.

"I do love you very, very much." She smiled and kissed me as we began to dance.

When the dance was over, we all switched partners. I danced with Amanda, Edward danced with Bella, Alice danced with Jasper, and Shane danced with Rose.

Amanda was a great dance partner, and I learned that she did ballroom dancing for three years in her teens. I was amazed that this girl had so many talents. I mean, she was a lead singer in her band back home in California. She wanted to go to college, and so did some of her band mates, so they took a short break and were going to get back together in when this upcoming school year was up. I was very excited for her.

We were laughing and talking happily, and I said, "I'm going to propose to Bella tonight."

"That's amazing, Emmett! I just know that you two are perfect for each other," she beamed.

"I'm going to go do it when this song is over," I stated.

She grinned even wider, and when the music ended, I walked onto the big stage. I told the D.J. to hold the next song, that I had an announcement to make.

"Isabella Marie Swan, are you in here?" I asked, and I saw her walking forward with our son, a confused expression on her face. "Sweetheart, from the first moment I saw you on January 7th back in our junior year of high school, I was in love with you. I know we've had our ups and downs, our roller coaster rides, but I want you to know that I want to be there with you forever and always. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life without you and Heath by my side everyday. I want you to understand that I will never leave you again, that I will be with you through everything that happens. I love you, Bellaboo. Will you marry me?"

She nodded, tears happily falling from her eyes, as she climbed the stairs to get to me. "Yes, Emmett. Yes, I will marry you."

We both grinned as I kneeled down in front of her and slid the ring onto her finger. "I love you," I told her, then called out, "Heath, why don't you come up here with Mommy and Daddy?"

Heath smiled as he made his way up the stairs. I picked him up, and he took the microphone from me. "My mommy and daddy getting marwied!" he exclaimed, in his cute toddler voice.

Everyone in the room laughed and clapped. I had never been happier than I was at this moment. I had my Bella and my son in my arms in front of all the people at Dartmouth and around the city, and the best part was that everyone knew that I loved them very, very much.


	21. Epilogue: Fourteen Years Later

**Epilogue: Fourteen Years Later**

**A/N: Sorry that I'm ending this so abruptly, but I'm busy with some other stories right now, including:**

**1. A Jasper/Bella story, titled "One Step at a Time", which tells about how Jasper and Bella make the mistake of falling for each other while the family's on a hunting trip, and their bumpy relationship and how they can obtain one without hurting Edward and Alice.**

**2. A Jacob/Bella story, titled "Out Time Now", which takes place in New Moon after Edward leaves. Pretty self-explanatory.**

**3. And I'm working on the first few chapters of a Edward/Bella story, titled "Don't Let Me Fall". It tells the story of ex-best friends Edward and Bella and their disgust for one another, all the while, needing each other because of a tragic event.**

**If interested in any of the stories above, check them out, and don't forget to review.

* * *

**

_**Emmett's POV**_

_EVENTS THAT HAVE PASSED:_

Wow, we've come a long way.

Bella, Jasper, Amanda, Heathcliff, and I all moved to Arizona right after Bella finished school. Amanda got back together with her band, and they became a huge hit, traveling the world on tour and such. Jasper went with her, but before he did, Bella and him resolved some problems and became as close, if not closer, than Rosalie and me.

Bella became pregnant again, right after we moved back to Phoenix, and we had a beautiful baby girl named Adrienne Elizabeth Hale. She had auburn hair like Bella's and big blue eyes like mine. We were ecstatic, and after a year, Alice and Rose convinced Shane and Edward to come live down here, too. It didn't take much talk, and we all had houses in the same gated community. When they did arrive, Alice was pregnant, and Rose was trying to get that way.

Edward and Rose were madly in love, and so were Shane and Alice. Jasper and Amanda weren't around much, but I knew that Jazz had finally gotten over Ali and moved on; he was completely enveloped in Amanda. They had gotten married, as well as Shane and Alice, and Bella and me.

We were all completely happy, and nothing could take that away.

_PRESENT DAY:_

"Andi! Heath! It's time for school!" Bella yelled up the steps, getting ready for work.

She was a consultant at an architectural firm, something I didn't know she had an interest in, and she got an amazing salary at $95,000. She was that good at her job. My occupation didn't pay nearly as much, but I went after another one of my dreams and was hired as an English professor at the local college. I loved it. I was snapped out of my thoughts as my fourteen year old daughter and my seventeen year old son came rushing down the stairs.

"Good morning," Adrienne said, passing by the both of us and heading straight for the kitchen to eat breakfast.

"Morning, sweetie. Do you have any plans for tonight? It _is _a Friday," I told her. I was hoping to have some alone time with my wife.

"Yes, Daddy. Heath's taking me to a movie and dinner with our friends." I really did love how well they got along, like Rosalie and me. They were best friends, despite the three year age difference.

"That's nice of you, Heath."

"Yeah, I know," he grinned. "But I'm genuinely happy that I get to hang out with Andi."

I chuckled. "Just remember to drive slowly and set a good example for your sister. She'll be getting her permit soon."

"If she ever passes the test," he laughed.

"Hello? I'm right here," Adrienne interjected with a mouth full of food.

Heath and I both rolled our eyes and ran our hands over our faces. He picked up the habit from me, and it was almost uncanny how we almost always did it at the exact same time. Heath took Andi to school and then went himself, leaving Bella and I to drive to our separate jobs.

I wrapped my arms around her skirt suit-clad body and breathed in her freesia and strawberry shampoo. "The kids are going to be out tonight, and we'll have the whole house to ourselves."

Hours later, after Bella and I were home from work and our teenagers were out, we headed to the bedroom, stripping our clothes quickly. We made love for hours, until we heard our kids come in. We were both reluctant to stop, but what we had shared was simply amazing, a perfect bond between two people that are meant for each other.

That night, I fell asleep to Bella whispering into my ear, "You are the only person who can make my heart beat faster and slower at the same time, Emmett Hale. And for that, I love you."

**A/N: Aw. It's over. FOR NOW. I might come back when I have some more time and fill in extra chapters before this one. Thank you for reading and sticking with me through this. Check out my other fanfictions and review! I love you guys!**


	22. Author's Note

**A/N: Recovery trailer up on YouTube. Check it out! Link on profile! It's awesome, I think. lilabut is an amazing video-maker!**

**I'm very happy with the response I recieved on this story, but I would love to have more people reading it. I would like to get over 120 reviews, but that seems so far off. I only have 95, now. Please spread the word around if you liked this story.**

**I love you guys so much for supporting me!**

**~koger109~  
**


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